


Stupid Girl

by Racey



Category: Hajime no Ippo | Fighting Spirit
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-22 10:09:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22281214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Racey/pseuds/Racey
Summary: Ippo and Sendo have been rivals from the moment they first laid eyes on one another, but passion towards fighting turns into passion for something else entirely.
Relationships: Makunouchi Ippo/Sendou Takeshi
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hajime no Ippo...

Onwards...

XOXOXO

It seemed like the whole arena was filled with screaming fans. No – correction. Screaming _Makunouchi_ fans. The chant had erupted out of nowhere, and the voices were beginning to make his ears bleed. Sendo huddled further into his burnt-orange jacket, the only spectator not on his feet. He had too much pride to stand and cheer for his rival – the only man that had been able to beat him soundly. _Twice_. Well, no, that wasn't really true. That first fight had been all his, and he would stand by that until his dying breath. Makunouchi had just gotten lucky. Who knew the guy would connect a shot to the temple at the last moment? Especially when he'd been looking so damned helpless and cornered.

Sendo huffed and hunkered lower in his seat, eyes narrowed as he studied the boxing ring in the center of Korakuen Hall. Makunouchi's opponent was a medical student named Sanada, and Sanada seemed to be picking apart the nation's hero. It was Makunouchi's first title defense too. Sendo sat forward in his seat when Sanada caught Makunouchi with a body blow that made the younger man pause, eyes wide and face frozen in shock. He didn't quite understand what was going on until Sanada threw another one. Makunouchi's face was going from red with exertion to a light shade of blue.

 _He can't breathe_.

A ripple of concern shivered through Sendo's body as he perched on the edge of his seat, jacket forgotten around his shoulders. Makunouchi had certainly seen worse in his previous fights, but for some reason, he seemed to be having an exceptionally hard time with the young doctor-in-training. Maybe that was the problem. Since Sanada was in the medical field, he knew more about the human body than the average person and knew just where to hit to disable his opponent without causing unnecessary damage. Not to mention, his crafty trainer had taught him the art of the Hien – a jab that seemed to follow its opponent with a scary precision. It was used to confuse boxers into thinking that their rivals could read their every move and action. Hell, even their thoughts. Then, there was the fact that Sanada had managed to tear apart Makunouchi's iron peek-a-boo style defense with the Tsubame Gaeshi. Long story short, Makunouchi was a sitting duck, and Sanada was having his way with him.

Sendo finally shot to his feet as he watched the furious exchange between the two men in the ring. Sweat beaded along his brow, and his hands involuntarily formed fists. He wanted to go down there and show Makunouchi where he was going wrong, but honestly, how could he do such a thing? Makunouchi had beaten him twice, once with that killer combination of the Liver Blow (almost obliterating his ribs, mind you) and Gazelle Punch, which had stepped smoothly into the Dempsey Roll. Sendo had fallen for it marvelously.

But he grudgingly had to admit that he admired Makunouchi. The meek, timid man was more powerful than most thugs Sendo knew – and he knew quite a few, having been a former gang leader himself. He'd been so eager to prove to himself – to the _world –_ that he was the strongest man alive. He'd been sadly mistaken, and he knew that now. Didn't mean he was about to go around announcing that little fact, though.

The crowd roared and sucked Sendo right back into the fight. _What the hell did I miss?_ he thought, panicked. Sanada was face-down on the mat, blood easing from the corner of his mouth and mouthpiece abandoned a few feet away from his body. Sendo scowled and drove his hands into his jacket pockets. He couldn't believe he'd been so distracted that he'd missed the end of the fight. It appeared Makunouchi had managed to hang onto his title a little longer, which was just fine with Sendo. He wanted Makunouchi to keep the title safe so they could have another go at each other. This time he was determined to win.

**XxxxxxX**

Sendo paced in front of the small fishing boat headquarters, hands sweating and heart racing. He wanted to talk to Makunouchi about a spar, but couldn't get rid of the fluttering in his gut. He had an idea why it was there to begin with, but it was getting on his last nerve. It had been like that with him ever since before his second fight with Makunouchi. Whenever he was around the soft-spoken, slightly shorter boxer, his body would go all hot, and he would get agitated and fidgety. It was annoying as hell.

While he was debating within himself whether or not to just knock on the door, a light switched on and the wooden panel slid aside, revealing a t-shirt and boxer-clad Makunouchi. His hair was its usual, dark, spiky mess, but he had a bandage over his left eyebrow and on his right cheek. He sported a couple of bruises as well, but he still looked like himself. A slow grin spread across Sendo's face as he stared at his self-proclaimed, lifetime rival.

"Eh? Sendo-san?" Makunouchi asked, confusion written all over his face.

"Makunouchi."

"Um, what are you doing here?"

"My ribs are all healed up, so I wanna spar."

Makunouchi held onto that deer-in-headlights look as he tilted his head to the side and shifted the garbage bag he held in his right hand.

"Now?"

Sendo's grin spread. "You insultin' me, Makunouchi? I could kick your ass with my hands tied behind my back right now."

Makunouchi's smile was sheepish as his hand went behind his head and his eyes lowered to the ground.

"Eh-heh. You're right. When, uh, when did you want to spar, then?"

When indeed. And why couldn't Sendo just wait until Makunouchi had recovered from his fight to approach him with the idea? Should he even entertain the thought creeping around the edges of his brain?

 _Because I wanted to see you_.

What the hell was that? He could flip on the TV and see Makunouchi _that_ way. There was no real reason for his being there. But what did it _mean_ though?

"Um, Sendo-san, is there something on my face?"

Oh, crap. He must've been staring too long. Makunouchi shifted his weight to his left foot, body language nervous and almost embarrassed, but his eyes were intense. The smaller man had gray eyes that seemed to go dark whenever he was serious, or whenever he was focused in the ring. It was damned intriguing.

Sendo jumped like he was dodging a jab. Seriously, what on Earth was he thinking? All he wanted from Makunouchi was another fight. He wanted to prove to the other man that he was just as strong – if not, more-so. So...why was he being KO'd by the guy's eyes? This situation was meandering right on into the land of the ridiculous, and that was saying a lot coming from him. He was known for being a bit foolish and slow on the uptake at times, but this...

A hand on his shoulder shook him right out of la-la land with enough force to jar his teeth.

"Sendo-san, are you OK?"

Makunouchi was standing directly in front of him. He smelled like soap and freshly laundered clothes, and his t-shirt was wrinkled and comfy-looking. Sendo inhaled quietly, wondering why Makunouchi's scent was affecting him the way it was. He took a couple of steps away from the shorter man and ran a hand through his wild, brown hair. Actually, he had an idea why the champion's presence and smell was making him unstable.

"Spar. I'll call you about the spar."

With that, he turned on his heel and took flight. He didn't actually run, but he _did_ walk very briskly.

**XxxxxxX**

Sendo leaned back against the cushioned seat and stared through the window of the train. He was heading back home to Osaka, and his thoughts were locked on his rival. He couldn't stop thinking about him, couldn't understand why he was feeling the way he was about him. It was so strange. One minute, he'd considered Makunouchi his eternal nemesis, and the next, he found himself staring a little too long at the other man's full lips.

It had all started with the Rookie Championship Tournament. Sendo had been mowing down any and all competition foolish enough to get in his way. It hadn't even been as fun as he'd been expecting. In fact, it had been boring as hell. No one had been even remotely strong. No one had been able to provide him with the thrill he'd been seeking. No one...except Makunouchi. Sendo remembered seeing the smaller, dark-haired man on video. His match against Mashiba Ryo had proven that Makunouchi Ippo was the guy he'd been searching for. His punches echoed and boomed like thunder, and the look in his eyes...

Sendo had been beside himself with excitement. He recalled missing sleep and watching Makunouchi's video repeatedly, while thinking of the day that they would finally meet in the ring. However, Yanaoka-han had kicked his dreams all to hell by relaying the message that Makunouchi couldn't fight in the All Japan Rookie Championship due to a broken fist. What a fucking buzz-kill. Dissatisfied with the news, he'd gone all the way to Tokyo, taking Kamogawa gym by storm. The members had crowded around him, demanding to know who he was and why he was there. Once he'd mentioned Makunouchi's name, their demeanor had changed, turning to intense curiosity.

And then Makunouchi had made his grand appearance. Sendo had seen the guy's video hundreds of times, and it still hadn't prepared him for the reaction he'd had after seeing Makunouchi up close and personally. The kid was disturbingly innocent and naïve, and his gym-mates poked fun at him all the time, especially Takamura. But that still didn't keep Sendo from being silently blown away by big, earnest gray eyes and a wide, friendly smile. Unable to recognize it for what it was back then, he'd stashed it in the far recesses of his mind for later analysis.

Sendo reached into his jacket pocket and slouched against the window, letting the side of his forehead press against the cool glass. He supposed that had been where his obsession with his rival had begun. As he'd mentioned before, it had been all for the purpose of meeting the shorter man in the ring, where they could fight man-to-man, where he could hit and be hit...and _win_. That had been the plan. It'd even held true until well after they'd fought for the first time. Once Sendo had snagged the championship belt, he hadn't been able to rest or be totally satisfied with it until he'd had another shot at Makunouchi. Only then would he believe he was truly the strongest. He'd already had his pride chipped away by the way he'd gained the belt in the first place. Volg was a good guy and an even better fighter. He hadn't deserved the treatment he'd received from the people of Japan.

Of course, since Makunouchi had lost to Date Eiji, the now retired Japanese featherweight champion, Sendo had had to wait for Makunouchi to make a comeback in order to challenge him to another fight. But with Makunouchi's strength, spirit and tenacity, it hadn't taken long for that moment to arrive. Elated, he'd attended Makunouchi's comeback fight, only to be stunned at the new move the man had come up with. The Dempsey Roll was a fierce beast once set in motion – something Sendo hadn't learned until they'd been in the ring together for the second time. Makunouchi's Thai opponent hadn't stood a chance once that thing had been unleashed.

Relieved, he'd been prepared to leave the arena, until the crowd in Korakuen Hall had noticed his presence. Of course, after that, he'd had no choice but to approach the ring and demand a rematch against the only man that had been able to keep up with him in a hitting match. Man, he remembered that moment like it had just happened yesterday.

Makunouchi had been his usual, blundering self after Sendo had made his declaration, but he'd recovered marvelously, gray eyes determined and filled with challenge. Sendo had waited with bated breath, hoping and praying that the guy would accept. And then, Makunouchi's eyes had hardened and narrowed, brow furrowed with the best kind of tension as he'd given his affirmative response.

Sendo fought a blush as he remembered his body having a very peculiar reaction to Makunouchi's words and voice. The way the dark-haired man had said his name. The look on his face. All of it had produced the expected surge of happiness, but had also made him overwhelmingly excited between his legs. He'd had nothing else to say, so he'd whirled on his heel and skedaddled out of there. He scrubbed a hand over his face as he recalled going home and dealing with a bout of restlessness that hadn't gone away until he'd rubbed it out of his system via the man downstairs. Still clueless as to what his body was trying to tell him about Makunouchi, he'd proceeded to continue his special training.

As the day of the fight had drawn nearer, Sendo's thoughts never strayed far from the topic of his rival. So much so, that he'd used an excuse he'd seen in the newspaper about Takamura and a bear, just to call Makunouchi. Part of it had been to be nosy about the guy's training, but most of it had been because he'd followed his instincts. He'd wanted to hear the man's voice. Makunouchi hadn't let him down, his voice soothing and warm even over the telephone. Sendo had grinned at the time, distinctly recalling the way Makunouchi's voice could go from calm and cool, friendly and inviting, to forceful and growly when he exerted enough energy.

At the time, he'd _still_ been unaware of what Makunouchi's effect on him meant. In fact, he'd thought it was pre-fight jitters and anxiety – an uncontrollable desire to beat Makunouchi unrecognizable. The inability to wait until they'd entered the ring to start hammering one another.

But then, they'd started the fight, and Sendo had begun seeing things in Makunouchi that he hadn't expected. Not only had the guy gotten stronger, he'd gotten a lot smarter and tougher. Harder to crack. By the time the fight had ended, Sendo had not only found a new respect for his rival, he'd found a new interest in him as well. Makunouchi was stronger than him – there was no doubt about that – but Makunouchi didn't brag and boast. There wasn't an arrogant bone in the man's body, unlike Sendo, who wore his ego like a gold crown. Sure, there was that; and then, there was the fact that he liked the way it felt to touch Makunouchi. Hitting him was fun, but the thrill that had followed the companionable hug he'd given the shorter man after the fight had sent chills and shudders racing all over his skin.

Makunouchi had smelled like sweat and blood and tears, and Sendo was sure his scent was similar, but the way it emanated from Makunouchi...he'd _liked_ it. How weird was that? Yanaoka-han would call him a creep for sure if he knew Sendo had a thing for his rival's body odor. And his hair. And his eyes. And lips. And his body was nice too.

Again, Sendo fought a blush when he thought back to the weigh-in before his and Makunouchi's second big fight. Makunouchi had removed his shirt, and Sendo had been unable to pull his eyes away. It was very evident that the shorter man had been working hard during his training. His back had become broader and more defined, shoulders more sturdy-looking. Sendo hadn't realized he'd been staring for so long until Yanaoka-han had gently patted his shoulder, gaining his attention for the surrounding press. Embarrassed and hiding it, he'd agreed to a sportsman-like handshake between the two opponents. But Makunouchi had turned his back to wipe his hand, and all Sendo could think about was the naked skin he'd just seen. In order to keep himself from reaching out and making a spectacle of himself, he'd played it off for the crowd.

 _Why can't I stop thinking about Makunouchi?_ he asked himself.

Now, he was chasing behind Makunouchi again, in his career _and_ in his spare time. Not that he would admit it. Jesus Christ, what was happening to him?

XOXOXO

"Hello?"

"Ah, Makunouchi-kun?"

Ippo blushed as he recognized Kumi-san's voice. She'd been calling him quite frequently in recent weeks, and all the attention flattered and flustered him.

"Yes, it's me. Hi, Kumi-san."

"Hi!"

The line went silent for a few beats as Ippo tried to figure out something to say that wouldn't make him sound like an utter idiot. He floundered about in his mind for a bit, but in the end, went with something that truly had him curious.

"Um, was there something you needed?"

Kumi gave a small, nervous chuckle as she stuttered, "I-I was thinking that m-maybe we...maybe we could..."

Ippo's blush deepened. He had a feeling where Kumi-san was going with her statement, but he didn't have the nerve to finish the sentence for her.

 _If it was Sendo-san, he would do it_.

He frowned, wondering where a thought like that had come from. Then, he grinned. It made sense, after all. Sendo had dropped by a couple weeks ago, the night after Ippo's fight against Sanada-san, so it wasn't unusual that the brunet was still on his mind.

"Makunouchi-kun!" Kumi's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Did you hear me?"

Ippo shook himself out of his momentary stupor and gave an embarrassed chortle. "Sorry, Kumi-san. What did you say?"

"I said we should go to the beach. Brother's been in a good mood lately and agreed to go too. You can tell Takamura-san, Aoki-san and Kimura-san about it, and we can make it an event. I'm sure Tomiko-san will be there."

"Oh! That sounds fun! I'll tell them tonight," he answered.

They chatted for a little while longer about this and that, until Ippo's other line beeped and he bid her good night. When he clicked over and greeted the caller, there was no response for a few seconds. He pressed the phone closer to his ear, wondering if a prank was being played.

"It's me!"

Ippo jumped and held the phone away, eyes wide. Once his ear drums stopped ringing, he tentatively brought it back.

"H-hello?"

"It's me!"

He paused. The voice was unmistakable and made him crack a grin. "Sendo-san?"

"Yeah."

"Is everything alright?"

"Spar tomorrow?"

Sendo's voice sounded like he was straining or on the verge of laughter. Ippo leaned a hip against the table the phone rested on and tilted his head.

"Tomorrow? Um, I have plans-"

"What? Screw that! Fight me, Makunouchi."

The simple command made Ippo's blood boil as adrenaline surged through his veins. The thought of fighting Sendo always made him feel like he'd just jumped off a cliff. His stomach dropped, and his heart raced. But he'd already promised to go to the beach with Kumi-san. He couldn't just brush her aside like that.

"I want to, but I-"

Sendo's deep tenor cut him off again. "You chickenin' out?"

Ippo smirked and shook his head. _Everything_ was a challenge to the other man. He decided to fight fire with fire, though, and retorted, "You wish. I'd kick your butt anyway."

He was blushing the entire time. He'd never spoken like that to _anyone, ever_. It was actually kind of fun.

Sendo snorted, voice floating through the receiver in a low chuckle. "Why dontcha prove it, then?"

"Sendo-san, I'm going to the beach tomorrow with my friends. Maybe afterward?"

There was a brief pause before Sendo hummed. "The beach, eh?"

"Yes."

As soon as the word left his mouth, Ippo was hit with a bright idea. He wasn't sure Sendo would take him up on it, but it was worth a try. Even though they were rivals, he still considered the feisty brunet a friend.

"Why don't you come with us? We're all going as a group, I think. I mean, I haven't asked Takamura-san, or Aoki-san and Kimura-san yet, but I'm sure they'll come."

"I ain't in Tokyo, Makunouchi."

"Yes, but we aren't leaving until-"

"I can get to the train station in a few minutes, though. I'll come up and camp out at yer place 'til tomorrow. Ya got an extra pair of swimmin' trunks?"

Ippo automatically got excited at the prospect of a sleepover. Before he'd started boxing, he'd never had any friends – certainly none that would come over and hang out. Plus, he felt like this was a chance to get to know Sendo a little better. He already knew that the man loved fighting, but other than that, he knew nothing about the brunet. Well, except the fact that he was fearless and a bit overzealous.

"Yeah, sure! I've got a pair I've never even worn yet!"

"Cool. See ya, Makunouchi."

Before Ippo could respond, the connection was ended. He gently set the phone in its cradle and hurried to his room. His mom was in the sitting area, head bent over a small notepad as she wrote down the financial figures for the family's small fishing boat business. As he rushed past, she lifted her head and smiled at him.

"Ippo!" she called.

He skidded to a stop and peeked around the corner of the doorway. "Yes, mom?"

"Why are you running?"

"Ah," he started as he scratched the back of his head. "I-I'm expecting company in a little while. Is that OK?"

"You're a grown man, Ippo. I don't mind if you bring your friends by. Is it a girl or a guy?" she asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

He blushed, even as he scowled. "Mom! It's a guy!"

"Well, I'm just asking. Like I said, you're a grown man now."

Ippo shook his head and ran a palm along the rough wood of the door frame. He hadn't blushed because his mother had indicated he might be bringing a girl home, but because he'd thought of Sendo-san. They were friends, yet he was still nervous about having the guy over. As many times as they'd interacted with one another, it had only ever involved boxing. This was different. They would be spending time in one another's company as two men just hanging out. It was almost overwhelming, although it really shouldn't be. He'd had Takamura, Aoki and Kimura over before. In fact, they'd barged into his home and made fast friends with his mom. Why should it be any different with Sendo-san?

"There are snacks in the refrigerator," his mother continued, bringing Ippo back to the here and now.

"Moooom."

She just chuckled and went back to her notepad. He grinned and took off once more for his bedroom. When he slid the shouji door aside, he looked around and sighed. There was nothing for him to do. He always kept his room spotless, unlike the average male. Takamura's room was forever a pigsty, and Ippo didn't see that changing one bit. Kimura's room hadn't been that bad the one time he'd gone to visit the man, but it _had_ been filled with a lot of male paraphernalia. He'd never been to Aoki's house, so he couldn't form an opinion on the guy's room. Besides, he was sure it was probably similar to Takamura's. Aoki didn't strike Ippo as the cleanest man around.

Ippo shuffled from his room to the linen closet in the hallway, where he retrieved an extra futon, blanket and pillow. That done, he took the items to his room and set them up close to the wall, next to his own futon. Once he stepped back and surveyed his work, he decided to move the extra bed a little further away from his. Sendo-san seemed like a bit of a loner and probably wouldn't want to sleep so close to another man. Again, Ippo found himself blushing at the thought. Sendo-san would be sleeping in his _home_ – in his _room_. Why did it give him such jitters?

In order to work off the nervous tension, he lowered himself to the floor and started a few reps of sit-ups and push-ups. He had to do something, or else he'd be pacing his room while he waited for Sendo-san's arrival.

**XxxxxxX**

As he came to an upright position during his last sit-up, he glanced at the clock across the room. It'd been a few hours since he'd spoken to Sendo-san on the phone; the brunet should have been there by now. Had he changed his mind about coming? Sendo-san was an impulsive kind of guy, so it was entirely possible. Ippo sighed and rose to his feet, intent on a glass of water. He really hoped Sendo-san hadn't changed his mind about staying over.

Ippo trudged to the kitchen, carefully ignoring the look of curiosity his mother sent him from the sitting room. He didn't want her to know that his eagerly anticipated company might not even show. He entered the kitchen and grabbed a glass from the draining board next to the sink, then filled it with water from the fridge. Half the glass was gone when the doorbell suddenly chimed loudly, making him jump hard enough to spill the rest down the front of his t-shirt. He stared at the kitchen door like it was an alien life form, eyes wide and disbelieving.

_Is it him?_

He jerked into action a little too late. As he sped out of the kitchen, he skidded to a halt for the second time that evening, his socks making him slide along the floor before he grabbed the wall to steady himself. His mother was standing in the front entrance with the door open, smiling as Sendo-san stepped past her. The brunet was taller than Ippo, his build slightly bulkier beneath his orange jacket. He was grinning back at Ippo's mother, brown eyes as mischievous as ever. For some reason, Ippo found it hard to breathe the longer he stared at his rival. It had always been that way, from the very moment he'd first lain eyes on the man. Sendo-san exuded a natural energy that drew Ippo in like a forbidden fruit.

"Hey, Makunouchi's mom!" Sendo-san greeted loudly, Kansai accent ringing into the silence of the entrance hall. Ippo immediately smiled. "That guy around?"

His mother's smile spread as she shut the door and turned back to their guest. However, before she could get a word out, Sendo-san's eyes found Ippo's still form holding up the wall.

"Hey, Makunouchi!"

Ippo pushed himself away from the wall and slowly began walking towards the other man. "Sendo-san," was all he could say.

"Ya got some grub in this place? I'm starvin'."

"There's food in the kitchen, um..." Ippo's mother interjected.

"Ah! Sorry! I'm Sendo Takeshi, former Japanese featherweight champion."

Ippo almost lowered his head and face-palmed. Sendo-san _would_ introduce himself that way. With a quiet chuckle, he turned on his heel and led the way to the kitchen.

"I think there's left overs on the stove," he said over his shoulder.

"Great! Nice meetin' ya, Makunouchi's mom!"

Sendo-san followed behind him into the kitchen and made himself at home at the small table. He plucked an apple from the bowl on top of it and tossed it into the air a few times as Ippo bustled around the room for bowls and small platters, heart racing madly. Why he was so nervous was beyond him. He and Sendo-san had met in the ring twice and outside of it on numerous occasions – there should've been nothing to get so wound up over. Yet, here he was, so anxious, he almost dropped a ceramic bowl on the floor. He was standing over the sink, rinsing a couple of glasses, when Sendo-san destroyed the silence.

"Makunouchi."

_Why the hell is his voice so close?_

Ippo glanced over his shoulder and almost panicked when he saw Sendo-san standing right behind him. As it was, one of the glasses dropped into the sink with a hefty clunk. What was the guy doing?

"Why ya so jumpy?"

Ippo didn't know what to say, so he blundered and stammered through an explanation, knowing for a fact that Sendo-san probably thought it was lame.

"I-I've n-never had company o-over before...Sendo-san."

It got so quiet in the modest kitchen, Ippo could have sworn he'd heard the neighbors' door shut three houses down. His face was on fire as he turned his back and refused to look his rival in the eye. Mortified didn't even _begin_ to describe the way he was feeling at the moment. What would Sendo-san say? The brunet was blunt to a fault, and Ippo didn't know if he could handle it if the other man decided to make fun of him.

Sure enough, Sendo-san's laughter made short work of the silence in the kitchen. Ippo hung his head and frowned at his reflection in the stainless steel sink. He was so pathetic.

"Stop callin' me Sendo-san fer starters, Makunouchi. Sendo's fine. Hell, even Rocky's better'n that. Jus' don' call me Takeshi. Only my gran'ma calls me that."

Ippo slowly turned to face the brunet, eyes big with disbelief. Sendo wasn't making fun of him? He wasn't laughing at him?

"O-oh. OK."

"You c'n loosen up too, while yer at it. We ain't in the ring...yet," the man finished with a sly smirk.

The air between them seemed to relax considerably as Ippo let the tension gathered in his back and across his shoulders slip away. He had a fleeting thought of how maybe he should feel at least a _little_ uncomfortable with Sendo-sa... _Sendo_ staring at him so intently, but he didn't. It almost felt natural. Sendo was the first to break the spell as he cleared his throat and turned away towards the table, leaving Ippo smiling like a goof in his wake.

"C'mon, Makunouchi! My stomach's puttin' up a helluva fuss, ya know?"

Ippo shook himself free from his moment of absentmindedness and went about filling plates and bowls with food. Every moment or two, he would glance at the brown-haired man, stomach fluttering each time their eyes met. When he handed Sendo a glass of juice, their fingers brushed, and for some reason, Ippo's entire body ignited. He avoided the other man's eyes as they ate, but Sendo couldn't keep quiet if someone paid him to. He chatted animatedly about everything to do with boxing – about how he was now sure he could "kick Makunouchi's ass from Osaka to Tokyo and back." Ippo was relieved. Even though he felt like his heart was trying to leave his body through his mouth, the brunet kept everything lively and...normal.

After the table had been cleared, Ippo led Sendo to the bedroom, palms sweating. He didn't know what the young man would think of his room, and he didn't know why it was such a big deal to him, but...it was.

Sendo whistled as he entered and took a quick look around. "Makunouchi, where's all yer _stuff?"_

Ippo frowned, confused. "It's here."

"You sure yer a guy? This place's too clean. I mean, where's yer video games? Where's yer pile of laundry? Where's yer skin mags?"

"S-skin mags?"

Sendo gave him an incredibly blank look, brown eyes still as piercing as always. "Ya gotta be kiddin' me."

"Um-"

"Makunouchi, ya tryna tell me you don' look at porn?"

Ippo's face set fire for the umpteenth time that hour. What was he supposed to say to that? He'd seen it before, of course. Anyone who hung around Takamura-san for _any_ amount of time would be exposed to porn. But as far as watching it on his own and keeping collectibles in his room? No, he couldn't say that he did. If Sendo was reacting like this to the fact that Ippo didn't watch porn, Ippo wondered what the guy would say or do if he knew that his rival was still a virgin. What would he do if he knew that Ippo hadn't even kissed a girl yet?

"Ah, I-I don't-"

"Jeez, man! Tha's gotta be the saddest thing I've ever heard," Sendo interrupted. He ran a hand through his unkempt, sable-brown hair before going over to Ippo's futon and dropping his jacket onto it. Ippo didn't even realize he was staring at Sendo's arms underneath the short-sleeved, black t-shirt the guy wore, until Sendo arched a dark eyebrow and folded his legs as he sank to the floor. "Makunouchi, I know _kids_ that used to beat up guys like you."

Ippo's face flushed again, this time from embarrassment and anger. He remembered being bullied for similar reasons before he'd started boxing. Mainly because he hadn't been like the average teenaged boy. He hadn't hung out because he hadn't had friends. He hadn't had the time anyway, since he'd always helped out at the shop with his mother. On top of all that, he'd never spoken up for himself – never tried to get the bullying to stop. However, things had changed once he'd become a boxer. Umezawa-san and his friends had become instant fans. Ippo snorted a chuckle at the distant memory. Umezawa-san still hung around and helped out at the shop, which was a huge relief and lifted most of the burden from Ippo's shoulders, leaving him the time needed for his training.

Ippo sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Not anymore."

Sendo frowned and was all set to launch into a new set of questions, Ippo was sure, so he tried diverting the brunet's attention. He went to his closet and dug around on the top shelf for the pair of swimming trunks he'd promised Sendo. Once he found them, he swung around and held them up with an uncertain grin.

"Do you think they'll fit?"

He wondered. They were orange with large gray piping on the sides. They were Ippo's size, but Sendo was slightly bigger than him. Sendo climbed to his feet and padded over. He took the shorts and held them in the air in front of him as he inspected them. Finally, he nodded after turning them this way and that a couple of times.

"They should." A gleam entered his eyes as he turned those brown lasers onto Ippo. "Yer not that much smaller than me, kiddo," he said and ruffled Ippo's spiky hair.

Ippo swiped at the boxer's big hand, amusement all over his face. "Aren't we the same age, Sendo-sa – I mean, Sendo?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Don' mean nothin'. Hey, where's yer bathroom. I gotta piss like a drunk man."

Ippo chuckled and shook his head as he showed the brunet the way to the restroom. Sendo was indeed an amazing man.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hajime no Ippo...

Onwards...

XOXOXO

It was three hours later, and he and Sendo were stretched across the futons that had been pulled close together once more, heads bent close as they examined the latest monthly boxing magazine. Sendo was wearing one of Ippo's t-shirts and a pair of pajama pants that were too big for Ippo. They had been a gift from Takamura-san and were covered with hearts and women in various stages of undress. He'd been utterly grateful they couldn't fit, more than happy to leave them collecting dust on the top shelf of his closet.

Sendo didn't seem to be bothered by what decorated the pants at all, though.

"Bullshit! He might make it!" Sendo snapped as he slapped his hand down across the page.

Ippo was used to Sendo's brash behavior by now, so he only smiled. "His record's not that great, Sendo-sa – I mean, Sendo."

"Makunouchi, you'n me both know that don' mean shit. Anythin' c'n happen in boxing."

That was true. Still, the boxer they were reading about had a record of ten fights, six losses and four wins. The wins had been achieved by judges' calls. Ippo shook his head.

"It just doesn't seem likely is all I'm saying."

"Ha! Whatta you know anyway?" Sendo grumbled with a pout.

Ippo wanted to reach over and tease the man's untamed, brown hair. He'd already discovered the unruly mass was soft to the touch when Sendo had mistakenly brushed it against his shoulder. Even though Sendo had made the same move earlier, Ippo was too nervous to return the favor. He didn't want Sendo to think anything weird about him, or think that he was weird in general.

He hadn't realized he'd drifted off into his own world, until he'd decided to return. He glanced over at the brown-haired boxer and everything froze, stiff as a corpse. Sendo was giving him that same intense look he'd given him on the hill next to the river the first time they'd met, when the man had been insisting that Ippo fight in the All Japan Rookie Championship. Sendo's eyes had always had the ability to make Ippo seize up, no matter the mood – they were that powerful. However, before he could comment on the drilling stare, Sendo looked away and frowned down at the magazine, fingers absently running over the glossy page.

"Hey, Makunouchi," he said softly. Ippo hummed in response, afraid to speak and break the brunet's concentration. "Ya ever been wit' a girl before?"

All the blood drained from Ippo's face as his eyes grew to the size of ostrich eggs. Where had that even come from? Why did Sendo want to know about Ippo's nonexistent sex life? Just the thought of telling his secret was absolutely daunting. He toyed with the fine hairs on his forearms as he avoided even looking in Sendo's direction. What was he supposed to say? Unfortunately, he didn't get a chance to figure it out because Sendo's face was right next to his as Sendo tried to make eye contact.

"Hey. Ya heard what I said?"

Ippo bit his bottom lip and scooted away from the taller man. Of course, he'd heard him. The room was quiet enough to hear footsteps on _Mars_ ; how could he _not_ hear him? Ippo was just unsure of how he should respond. He was almost positive that if he told Sendo that he in fact _hadn't_ been with a girl before, the brunet would laugh him into next year...and then some.

"Makunouchi."

Sendo's voice had a little bite to it, and Ippo could tell that the man was growing impatient. Sweat beaded at his temples as he chanced a glance at his friend. The brunet's eyes were like sharpened sword points. Ippo didn't know what to do – he was so caught up in the man's almost threatening gaze. All he could do was sit and stare back, mouth undulating like a sucker fish stuck to the side of a glass tank.

"Don' tell me ya _haven't_ ," Sendo said incredulously as he leaned away to seemingly get a better look at Ippo's expression.

Ippo lowered his eyes again, this time with an embarrassed scowl. Well, there went his plan to keep Sendo in the dark about his lack of sexual experience.

"OK, so ya ever _kiss_ a girl at least?"

Oh, this night was only getting worse and worse. And it wasn't like he could just avoid the questions. Sendo was like a German Shepherd with a bone when he set his mind on something. So, Ippo could choose one of two options and hope for the best at this point. One, he could _try_ to ignore the brunet, but like he'd mentioned earlier, he was _sure_ that would never work. Or two, he could actually tell Sendo the truth. He gritted his teeth and winced. Why, oh, _why_ had Sendo chosen to inquire about such a mortifying topic? They'd been having fun – or so Ippo had _thought_. The brunet hadn't been complaining of boredom, at any rate. A small thought slithered into Ippo's mind out of nowhere, but he shucked it aside as quickly as it had come. He'd never been a liar, and he wasn't about to change now, no matter how humiliated he was certain to be.

"So yer tellin' me ya never had sex, _an'_ ya never kissed a girl?" Sendo asked, dark eyebrows raised until they were hiding beneath his brown bangs.

Ippo sighed. "Yes," he mumbled, voice barely audible. Now, normally, he wouldn't get defensive and react in kind, but for some reason, Sendo's words chaffed. "Well, what about _you_?!" he snapped. "Have _you_ ever kissed or been with a girl?"

At first, Sendo's expression was one of surprise, but once that wore off, his lips curved into his signature, devilish, yet cocky smirk.

"We're popular boxers, Makunouchi. A'course I have."

Ippo didn't really know why his stomach dropped to his knees the way it did; all he knew was that he was severely disappointed by Sendo's answer. Maybe he'd been hoping that Sendo would be in the same boat as himself, but when he looked at the situation, Sendo was right. They _were_ quite popular. Not to mention, the brunet was a very handsome man – unlike Ippo. However, he'd never thought to use his fame that way. Besides, it wasn't like he'd know what he was doing, anyway.

"U-um," he started, uncertain of how to phrase the question he wanted to ask. "That is...um...Sendo-san-"

"Sendo," the brunet immediately corrected.

"S-Sendo...um..."

"Well, spit it out, Makunouchi! Yer makin' my hands itch."

Ippo cleared his throat as he scratched the back of his head. Since he really didn't know any other way to approach the topic, he decided to just blurt it out – precisely the way Sendo had suggested.

"H-how does it f-feel?"

Sendo arched a brow before he turned his eyes to the ceiling and leaned on an elbow, cheek against his palm.

"Hmm...how does what feel 'xactly?"

Ippo blushed, face hot and tingling. "A-all of it."

"Ehhhh," Sendo drawled with a wicked grin as he focused on Ippo's eyes. "So, Makunouchi wants ta know what it's like ta be a man, huh?"

"Shut up, Sendo-san!"

"Sen-do. C'mon, Makunouchi, say it wit' me. Seeeennnn-doooo."

"Hey!" Ippo snapped, growing impatient, not to mention embarrassed. "Just tell me!"

"OK, OK, OK. Calm down." Sendo turned onto his back and put his arms behind his head. Eyes on the ceiling again, he slowly began describing things Ippo had only ever seen on TV and at Takamura-san's apartment. "A kiss kinda feels gross at first. I mean, ya gotta get used ta havin' somebody's tongue in yer mouth, but after ya get that outta the way, it's smooth sailin'. Far as sex goes, tha's easy. Ya ever touch yerself, Makunouchi?"

"What?! S-Sendo-sa – I mean, Sendo! That's...that's...that's..."

Sendo turned his head in Ippo's direction and met his eyes, sideways smirk tugging at his lips. "Not my business? Well, look. _Yer_ the one wants ta know 'bout havin' sex an' how it feels, right?"

 _He's right. Plus, you're a man now; time to start acting like one_.

"I-I guess."

"So...do ya throw the stick, Makunouchi?"

Ippo sat with a blank face for a few long seconds before he cleared his throat again and tilted his head.

"Um...Sendo...I...I don't understand."

Sendo frowned and slapped his forehead before he lifted himself to his elbow once more. "Good grief, man! Ya gotta get out more! Do ya beat yer meat? Choke yer chicken? Dude, do ya fuckin' _jerk off_? Or...what's that word? Oh, yeah! _Masturbate_!"

Ippo's face was probably the color of his boxing shorts by the time Sendo finished his spiel. He couldn't say he didn't know what that last one meant.

"Um...um..."

"Oh my fuckin' _God_ , Makunouchi," Sendo groaned. "Ya better not sit here an' tell me ya never rocked yer own world before. Tha's impossible."

Ippo knew he was flirting with disaster as he shook his head, but he figured he'd been honest so far; there was no reason to chicken out now.

"I-I have."

God, his face burned. He wanted to hide under a rock – he was so embarrassed and uncomfortable. Sendo exhaled harshly and wiped his forehead.

"Whew! Ya had me scared fer a minute there. Well, anyway. Sex is kinda like that – only better. It's warmer, wetter and tighter...dependin' on the girl, I s'pose."

"Hmm. I guess that makes sense."

"Yeah, course it does. So, how come ya never got laid or kissed before?"

Sendo's brown eyes were inquisitive and genuine. He didn't seem like he was poking fun at Ippo this time around, which made Ippo relax enough to shrug his shoulders and lower his head to the futon while he lay on his stomach. He rested his chin on his folded hands and sighed through his nose.

"I don't know. I guess, I've never tried. I never had a girlfriend to think about it with, anyway."

"Well, why not? It ain't like yer hideous 'er nothin'. I'm sure there's plenty a'chicks that'd do ya," the brunet said with a sly smirk and wink.

Yet again, Ippo found himself blushing. He had a feeling Sendo was teasing him this time. He knew he wasn't attractive. Heck, it was the reason the girls had called him a boar during his match with Hayami-san. Ippo shook his head with a small smile as he looked into Sendo's eyes.

"I'm not that great."

"Hn," Sendo grunted and turned his head away.

The expression the other boxer wore was confusing. It seemed like Sendo was upset since his brows were knitted together, and the bridge of his nose was wrinkled. That only happened when the man was truly angry or making one of his teasing faces. But usually, he'd be smiling if he was teasing.

"Something wrong, Sendo?"

"You _are_ great."

Ippo leaned a little closer, unable to hear what the man had just mumbled.

"What?"

Sendo hit Ippo with that blazing stare again, but this time it felt even more electrifying. "I _said_ ya _are_ great. There ain't nothin' that _ain't_ great 'bout ya, Makunouchi, so stop doubtin' yerself. Yer a _damned_ good boxer, ya don' seem ta have the ability ta lie, yer always friendly – yer practic'ly a boy scout. An' yer cute too," he ended with a petulant pout.

 _I'm hearing things_ , Ippo thought as he frowned at Sendo in confusion. _I gotta be_.

"Sendo...did you just call me cute?"

The bridge of the brunet's nose flushed a deep crimson as his pout deepened. However, instead of denying it like Ippo thought he would, Sendo grunted and rubbed the tip of his nose.

"Yeah, I said it. Pisses me off too."

"Eh? I don't think I understand what you're talking about."

Sendo sucked his teeth and gave Ippo an exasperated look. "It's 'cuz yer always blushin' and smilin' and stutterin'! Tha's what chicks do, ya know!"

"I-I...I do _not_!"

"Heh. Ya jus' _did_ ," the brunet said with a smug grin. He sat up until he was upright Indian-styled and shrugged his shoulders, hands out and palms upward. "Look, Makunouchi. I ain't callin' ya a girl. I jus' said it's what girls _do_ , an' it's kinda cute. Tha's all."

Ippo still wore a frown as he considered the man's words. It didn't make much sense, and it _did_ sound like Sendo was calling him a girl, but maybe Ippo was looking at it the wrong way. It was possible. But then, that left the issue of the brunet calling him cute. Ippo peered at him from the corner of his eye. Sendo's attention span wasn't all that spectacular, so it wasn't surprising to see the guy focused on the once abandoned magazine. Ippo slowly sat up himself and rubbed the back of his head. Now that the conversation seemed to be over, he didn't know what to do with himself. Just as he went to stand and head to the kitchen for another glass of water, Sendo's arm shot forward like a snake, his hand wrapping firmly around Ippo's wrist.

"What're ya thinkin' 'bout right now?"

The question caught Ippo so off guard, all he could do was stare at the brunet like he'd never seen him before. What did Sendo mean? Why was he asking a question like that?

"W-what?"

"I don' wantcha thinkin' I'm some typa weirdo, ya know? So, tha's why I asked what yer thinkin' 'bout. Ya look like ya got a shougi match goin' on in yer head."

"Oh...no. I just...I didn't know what else to say."

Ippo carefully extracted his wrist from Sendo's grasp, absently rubbing at it as he watched the brunet watch him, the moment tense and awkward. He didn't know what Sendo wanted to hear. He didn't think the brunet was a weirdo at all. If anything, he still thought the man was simply put: amazing.

"I don't think you're a weirdo, Sendo-san. You're strong and honest, and that's amazing."

Ippo was surprised to see the man's eyes go wide and his eyebrows disappear beneath his brown fringe. He was even further surprised when Sendo blinked, and his entire face went red. Not understanding why Sendo had such a stunned expression, Ippo continued on to the kitchen for his water.

When he returned to the room, Sendo was stretched on his back, arms spread apart and left leg bent, while the right rested flat on the futon. His shirt was riding up along his hips, just enough to give Ippo a peek at his washboard abdomen, and his mouth was wide open as he snored like a revving chainsaw. Ippo chuckled and shook his head. How on Earth Sendo had managed to fall asleep that fast was beyond him, but he _would_ admit it did make things a lot easier. He slipped onto his own futon and pulled his sheet over his legs before he turned onto his side, facing away from the snoring brunet. He buried his face in his pillow, still a little embarrassed about the conversation he and Sendo had had earlier. However, he was also excited. Was this what having a friend felt like?

He hoped so because he liked it.

XOXOXO

He was warm and completely comfortable. So much so that he didn't want to move at all.

Too bad he had to piss.

Sendo opened his eyes and glanced in the direction of where the warmth was coming from, and all thoughts of relieving himself went out of the window. Makunouchi's dark, spiky hair was pressed against Sendo's collar bone, his body tucked close to Sendo's. Sendo was on his side, right arm bent and cushioning his head, while the left was draped over Makunouchi's side.

 _What the hell?_ he internally screamed. _What the fuck are we doing like this?_

He focused on Makunouchi's face that was illuminated just a bit by the moonlight filtering through the vertical blinds of Makunouchi's window. Thankfully, the slightly smaller boxer was fast asleep. Sendo breathed a deep sigh of relief and let his head fall back to the pillow. He had no idea how they'd ended up sleeping like they were lovers. One minute he was resting his eyes while Makunouchi made a trip to the kitchen, and the next he was in la-la land, dreaming of their next fight. This was the last thing he'd expected upon waking up. Hell, he hadn't really expected to be invited on an outing with Makunouchi, either, let alone sleeping in the man's home – in his _bed_. It was surreal.

Too good to be true.

Sendo turned his head again, and studied Makunouchi's peaceful face. He was yet again taken aback by Makunouchi's innocently good looks. When he'd told Makunouchi that he was cute, he'd _meant_ it; the champion was downright adorable at times. Sendo sighed and slowly tried to remove his arm without waking the smaller man. He would have loved to stick around and stare at his rival all night, but he really had to go again. Apparently the effects of shock only lasted for a short time. When his arm was clear, he carefully eased to his feet and stopped once he was standing. He looked down at Makunouchi, satisfied when he realized the guy was still asleep. He padded to the bathroom and slid the door shut behind himself. As he used the toilet, he thought about a few things, one being what Makunouchi would have done had he been the first to awaken and notice their position. Then Sendo grinned. Makunouchi would have stuttered and blushed like he always did when he was put on the spot. It reminded him of the time Makunouchi had come to his title match against Shigeta. Now, _that_ had been fun. At first, he'd thought the other boxer had grown a backbone and come to return the favor for what had happened after Makunouchi's comeback match. Boy, had he been wrong. Makunouchi only grew a pair when he was in the ring, which was cute and endearing enough to make Sendo uncomfortable. Makunouchi really did have traits like a girl.

Sendo washed his hands and left the bathroom, mind still on the young man asleep in the other room. He was still wondering what Makunouchi's reaction would have been had he seen the way they'd been laying. He entered the bedroom and slid the door shut before shuffling forward and flopping down onto the empty futon. Makunouchi was still asleep in the same position Sendo had left him in. As he settled in, he couldn't help staring at the dark-haired man again.

"Makunouchi," he murmured. His hand raised and lightly passed through the champion's spiky locks. One would think the man's hair was coarse by just looks alone, but it was soft as feathers. Not only that, but Makunouchi had long eyelashes that were currently brushing against the crests of his cheeks. "Heh. How couldja say yer not great?"

His rival didn't move, but he _did_ sigh as if he'd heard exactly what Sendo had just said. Sendo smirked. _This guy_ , he thought. He wrapped his arm around the smaller man again and snuggled closer, taking in the smell emanating from him. It was soothing. So much so, in fact, that it lulled Sendo right back to sleep.

**XxxxxxxX**

"-endo."

Sendo snorted and turned over, refusing to open his eyes. He was still a bit groggy from sleep and didn't feel like getting up just yet. What the hell time was it?

"Granny, I ain't gotta get up yet," he mumbled.

"Sendo! We have to get ready to leave!"

He sucked his teeth and started to complain some more, when he realized that his Granny's voice was a little deeper than he remembered. He cracked open his eyes and peered around the room, instantly regretting it as the sun assaulted them. After he mustered the courage to open them again, he noticed a big change in the décor of his room.

_What the hell?_

He sluggishly sat up, rubbing the back of his head and squinting his eyes. Finally, he understood just why nothing was as familiar as it should've been. Makunouchi stood over him, eyes amused, but face as red as a tomato.

 _Oh, yeah. I'm not home_.

"What time izzit?" he grumbled as he made an effort to wipe the sleep from the corners of his eyes.

"Um...it's seven."

"...In the mornin'?!"

Makunouchi's eyebrows raised as he nodded, clearly amused. Sendo stared for a long few beats before shaking his head, eyes wide and mouth open in disbelief. Had Makunouchi really made him get up before the roosters could do their thing? Sendo staggered to his feet and shuffled over to Makunouchi until he was right up in the shorter man's face.

"It's _Saturday_. Yer a _guy_. Why ain't ya still sleepin'?" he growled, dangerously close to wrapping his hands around Makunouchi's neck. "Didja even take yer mornin' leak yet?"

Makunouchi gave that infuriatingly innocent grin of his, and all the menace in Sendo's aura disappeared. How the hell could he stay pissed off at this guy?

"I guess you're not a morning person, huh, Sendo?"

Sendo huffed and brushed past the champion, making sure to bump shoulders with him. He wanted Makunouchi to know for a fact that he didn't appreciate being roused at such an ungodly hour if it had nothing to do with boxing. In fact, the only time he woke this early was for road work – not the fucking _beach_.

He stomped from the room, only to pause in the doorway at the sight of a brown-haired girl, who was staring at him like he had eight legs. Who the hell was the chick? He opened his mouth to ask that very question, but never had a chance. He was damn near tackled back into the room by an enthusiastic arm around his shoulders.

"What the hell?!" he cried.

Deep, manic laughter hit his ears the instant he recognized the larger body overshadowing him. Takamura Mamoru stepped back and placed his hands on his hips as he cackled like a villain. The middleweight champion had on a pair of powder-blue swimming trunks, a white, sleeveless tee and black flip flops. Around his waist was a pink and fuchsia inflatable doughnut with a dinosaur head. Just the sight of him had Sendo chuckling.

"Sendo! Ippo said you were in town! Comin' ta pick up chicks with us?" the man asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Sendo couldn't help but notice the sour look on the face of the only girl in the room at Takamura's question. However, he decided to ignore it for the time being. He turned his attention to the other two men in the hallway, vaguely recognizing their faces, his mind absently placing them as Makunouchi's gym mates.

"Yeah," he grunted. "But who goes ta the beach this early in the mornin'?"

Takamura tilted his head, crazed grin still in place. "Ya gotta get there early for the good spots."

"You and Kimura might be the only ones lookin' for girls," Makunouchi's short-haired gym mate spoke up with a smug smile. "Ain't that right, Ippo?"

Sendo's head whipped around as he glared back at Makunouchi, who was rubbing the back of his neck and blushing to the roots of his dark hair. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Sendo didn't understand until he turned forward again and saw the girl blushing as well, eyes on the floor.

So...wait...

Was that Makunouchi's _girlfriend_? But hadn't the idiot said he didn't have one of those? Or maybe this was a date setup... Sendo frowned, mood completely ruined. He no longer wanted to go on this little outing; hell, he didn't even want to be in Makunouchi's house anymore. He didn't notice Takamura and Kimura eyeing him funny as he made his way to the bathroom, but he _did_ notice that Makunouchi hadn't said a word to deny his gym mate's statement.

**XxxxxxX**

He was officially annoyed.

Sendo stared sullenly from the towel Makunouchi had set up on the sand about twenty meters from the water. He was underneath a huge blue and white umbrella, relaxing in the shade, but he was bored out of his mind, and he couldn't get rid of the feeling of acute jealousy lingering in his gut. It was making him grind his teeth and seethe with frustration. He was no quitter, though, so he put up with watching Makunouchi play with the brown-haired girl, who Sendo had found went by the name of Kumi. _Mashiba_ Kumi, to be precise. And that shit just blew his mind. He _neve_ r would've guessed that the timid girl was kin to the savage beast, Mashiba Ryo.

But back to his predicament.

Makunouchi had the girl on his shoulders as the guys played some type of game that required the females to ride there. He wasn't really paying much attention, but he noticed _that_ , and he didn't like it one bit. Sendo glanced at the other guys they'd traveled to the beach with and realized that he was the only one without female companionship. He could probably find a random girl walking the sand, but he wasn't in the mood. He turned his glare to Makunouchi again and sneered. He couldn't _wait_ until they left the beach and went to the gym for their spar.

He was going to beat the _hell_ out of Makunouchi.

He was so caught up in his own violent world that he didn't notice Makunouchi's gym mate, Kimura, plop down beside him. Not at first, anyway. It took the dark-haired man placing his arm around Sendo's shoulders for him to actually realize he was there.

"Oi, Sendo. Why ya over here all alone?"

Sendo shrugged and went back to stewing. What could he say? That he was pissed because Makunouchi wasn't paying him any attention, even though the jerk had invited him along in the first place? Or that Makunouchi was being too touchy-feely with "Kumi-san?" Yeah, right. Kimura would probably laugh his ass home.

"Don' feel like swimmin'."

"Hohhhh," Kimura said as he rubbed his hairless chin and removed the arm he had around Sendo's shoulders. "Ya sure that's it?"

"Ya got somethin' ya need ta say?" Sendo growled.

"Heh, don't bite my head off. It's just..."

When Kimura trailed off and didn't seem like he was going to finish his comment, Sendo turned a glare on him that should've burned the hair off his head. Kimura got the picture and went on.

"Alright, alright! I'm just sayin'...you're _obvious_ ," he stated, gesturing with his hands and dragging the "obvious."

"What're ya talkin' about?"

"You and Ippo."

"What about me and Makunouchi?"

Kimura gave an exaggerated sigh and face-palmed. When he removed his hand, he gave Sendo a blank stare that rubbed the wrong way. He seemed to study him for a few more moments before he decided to speak again.

"Ya know what? I think I'll just sit this one out."

Sendo was utterly baffled at this point. What in the world was Kimura talking about? Was there something that was going over his head? Kimura climbed to his feet and sauntered off towards the snack bar a few meters away, which gave Sendo the chance to turn his attention back to Makunouchi. When he did, however, the champion was ambling towards him, body soaking wet and dripping water onto the sand. Sendo couldn't keep his eyes away from Makunouchi's rippling abdomen and chest, his sinewy arms and shoulders and legs...

"Sendo-sa – I mean, Sendo, you don't want to get in the water? It's a lot of fun!" Makunouchi stated with a huge smile as he plopped down beside Sendo.

That woke him up. Sendo blinked a few times and scrunched his brows and nose at his wandering thoughts. What the hell was wrong with him, really? Now, he was staring at Makunouchi's wet body like it was his favorite meal. He growled under his breath and scooted away from the other man, still upset that he'd been ignored for longer than he liked.

"Oh, ya finally noticed I was still here?" he grunted, ashamed that he actually sounded _jealous_.

Makunouchi gave a confused frown, and Sendo was dismayed to find himself attracted to it. It was cute as all hell. He turned away from the endearing sight and sighed. What was going _on_ with him? Maybe he just had a lot of built up tension that needed an outlet, and it was making him a little delusional. Yeah, that had to be it.

"What are you talking about? I knew you were here. Why didn't you want to get in the water with everyone?"

Sendo's jaw was fixed as he stared at the distant horizon. "I didn' wanna."

"But why?"

"'Cuz I didn' fuckin' _wanna_ , Makunouchi!" he snapped.

Makunouchi's frown deepened, but it wasn't from anger. It was a sad puppy kind of frown – one that made Sendo instantly feel guilty.

"Dammit," he growled. "Makunouchi, you piss me off."

"I-I'm sorry, Sendo," the other man said quietly, eyes lowering as he drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. "I didn't mean to make you upset."

Anger boiled in Sendo's stomach and tried to burst through his chest. "Stop _doin'_ that! I can't _take_ it when ya get all adorable an' shit!"

Makunouchi's head lifted, and his eyebrows flew into his hairline. "What?"

"You heard me. When ya get like that, it makes me restless. Makes me wanna hit ya 'er somethin'."

Instead of going all timid like Sendo was expecting, Makunouchi huffed and scowled. "I'd just hit you back."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah."

Sendo surged to his feet and stood over the dark-haired boxer, hands balled into fists. "We c'n do this right _now_ , then! I'm _ready_!"

Makunouchi jumped up too, brows pulled together. "Why are you so _mad_ , Sendo?! You were fine last night and this morning!"

A little of the wind left Sendo's sails as he saw the desperate look in Makunouchi's sultry gray eyes. The guy just didn't understand, and Sendo couldn't say it was his fault. _He_ was the one pissed off for reasons that he couldn't even begin to explain. How could he? What the fuck would he say? _Makunouchi, you're so cute it makes me wanna hit you, since I very well can't do something like kiss you?_ No fucking way. He would never humiliate himself like that. For one thing, Makunouchi was a guy, no matter _how_ cute he was. And for another... _Makunouchi was a fucking_ _guy_! He just wasn't equipped with the right parts for that kind of interaction, even if he did act like a chick at times.

Sendo sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes. "Jus' ferget it, Makunouchi."

He turned towards the snack bar, but before he could take a step, Makunouchi had an iron grip on his arm. Sendo looked at the shorter man like he'd just spoken in an alien tongue. Then, his stomach dropped to his knees, and he knew he was officially screwed in the head when all he wanted to do was pull Makunouchi into his arms and keep him there forever. Makunouchi's gray eyes were glassy like he was on the verge of frustrated tears, but maybe it was just that he _was_ frustrated.

"Aren't we friends, Sendo?"

"I...I..." he started, unsure of what to say.

He had only ever thought of Makunouchi as his rival. Wasn't "friends" stretching it? Or had he missed something? Before he could finish his statement, Kumi came over and glanced at the both of them, eyes wide and almost frightened.

"U-um, Makunouchi-kun, we're going to get some food. Are you coming?" she asked.

Sendo glared at the girl like she'd just threatened his manhood. _Stupid girl_ , his mind snarled. _Stupid, stupid,_ stupid _girl_. All day, she'd been monopolizing Makunouchi's time, and it was seriously getting on Sendo's last fucking nerve. He sneered and snatched his arm away from Makunouchi before stomping off towards the bathrooms. He didn't have time to sit around Makunouchi and his _stupid_ girlfriend.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hajime no Ippo...

Onwards...

XOXOXO

Ippo watched Sendo storm away, his heart in his mouth, and he didn't even know why. Something had been irking the brunet since that morning when they'd left for the beach. The night before, they'd had a good time – they'd even had a nice conversation. They'd been like _real_ friends. What could've changed overnight to create such a huge wall between them?

Once Sendo disappeared into the the building that housed the restrooms, Ippo lowered his eyes to the sand and continued to scowl. He didn't understand it. A small hand on his bare shoulder brought him out of his reverie. He glanced over at Kumi-san and tried to muster up a smile, but his mouth just wouldn't cooperate. He _liked_ Sendo, and he didn't want the man mad at him. Especially not for something that Ippo didn't even know about. It was _frustrating_. But...now that he thought about it, Sendo's attitude hadn't changed until he'd seen Kumi-san. He'd grown even more sullen than normal and refused to talk to Ippo. Maybe it didn't help that Aoki-san kept sticking Kumi-san with Ippo whenever Ippo tried to talk to Sendo. Was that why the former champion was so angry?

The pieces slowly began falling into place the longer Ippo used his brain. Sendo had mentioned something about Ippo finally noticing his presence when Ippo had come out of the water. Was Sendo feeling neglected? Ippo didn't want that. The brunet was his friend, and Ippo was determined to prove it. Maybe Sendo didn't think they were friends, but Ippo planned to change that. He focused on Kumi-san again and finally found his usual smile. With a goal in mind, he was able to concentrate on other things a lot easier.

"Yeah, I am a little hungry," he said.

Kumi-san grinned brightly and looped her arm with his. It made him blush whenever she touched him because he wasn't used to all the attention. Not unless he was in the ring. They made their way over to the snack bar that was packed to capacity with squealing children and rowdy teenagers. Ippo's eyes wandered over to the right. Sendo still hadn't emerged from the bathroom, and it was beginning to worry Ippo. He hoped everything was alright.

He and Kumi-san found the rest of the group seated at a table at the back of the establishment, Kimura-san and Takamura-san arguing loudly. Mashiba-san had accompanied them to the beach, to the utmost surprise of the entire group. The only one who seemed unfazed by the man's presence was Kimura-san. In fact, the more Ippo looked at the two men, the more he realized that they were sharing an easy kind of companionship. That was more disturbing than Ippo could have imagined. He'd never pictured Mashiba-san getting along with _anyone_ aside from his younger sister. The man was volatile and bad-tempered to a fault, making it virtually impossible for anyone to get close to him. Kimura-san had managed somehow, though.

Ippo sat at the edge of the table, eyes darting around the small restaurant in search of a scowling brunet with arresting brown eyes and a mischievous smirk. When he didn't spot Sendo anywhere, his shoulders sagged with disappointment. He felt a little guilty for not paying more attention to the other man.

"Idiot! She smacked you 'cuz you were feelin' on her boobs!" Kimura-san shouted.

Takamura-san snorted and took a hefty bite from the burger in his large hands. "She shouldn't have had that skimpy little bikini on, then," he muttered, mouth full of food.

Ippo cringed as he watched a few clumps of chewed up beef and bread hit the table. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who thought Takamura-san's eating habits were less than desirable.

"That's disgusting!" Aoki-san snapped. "No wonder you don't have a woman!"

Aoki-san's girlfriend, Tomiko-san, put a hand on her boyfriend's arm. "Masaru, calm down. Just eat your food."

Aoki-san grinned at Tomiko-san and leaned towards her. The two kissed noisily and hungrily, making Ippo look away with a fierce blush. He wondered what kissing _really_ felt like. Sendo had told him it was gross at first, and when Ippo peeked at Aoki-san and Tomiko-san again, he had to agree. Heck, it _looked_ gross. His eyes turned to Kimura-san, who was talking quietly with Mashiba-san. Their heads were bent close together and Kimura-san had a big smile on his face. Ippo watched, curious. And then his eyes almost fell out of his head when he spotted Kimura-san's hand creeping over Mashiba-san's thigh underneath the table.

_What?!_

He could see them clearly from his spot at the edge of the table, so there was no way his eyes were deceiving him. What on Earth was going on? Were...were Kimura-san and Mashiba-san...an _item_? His face grew hot as his blush intensified. Unfortunately, Aoki-san noticed his red face and mistook it for something else.

"Ohhhh, Ippo! Did ya get a little action or somethin'? Yer face looks like an apple!" he said, far too loudly.

All eyes swung in his direction, including Kumi-san's. He started to stutter an excuse, when Sendo approached the table. He glared at Ippo, brown eyes bright with fury, before turning to Kumi-san with the same threatening look. He must've seen something he didn't like because he shook his head slightly and whirled on his heel, headed in the direction from which he'd just come. Ippo almost shot out of his seat, but a carefully placed hand on his forearm kept him in his chair. He glanced over at Kumi-san, wondering what it was that she wanted, and frowned when he realized that she wasn't even looking at him. She had her head down, eyes focused on her lap.

_What the?_

"Kumi-san?" he asked.

She chuckled. "I'm sorry, Makunouchi-kun. I just don't want you to fight with him. We're supposed to be having fun, but he's making you angry."

Ippo scowled. For some reason, he didn't like the way Kumi-san was trying to place the blame all on Sendo. "That's not true, Kumi-san," he retorted stiffly before removing the girl's hand from his arm and slowly climbing to his feet.

He didn't notice the amused look coming from Kimura-san or the baffled one coming from Aoki-san as he followed the brunet from the restaurant. He was too worried about putting his make-Sendo-his-friend-plan into action. Once he stepped outside the building, the sun made him squint while he adjusted to its brightness. After a few moments had passed, he looked left, then right, and finally found Sendo stalking down the small boardwalk, hands clenched into fists. His back was stiff and full of angry tension. Ippo set off at a jog in order to catch up to him.

"Sendo!" he called, but the brunet kept walking. "Sendo! Sendo-saaaaaaan!"

At last, Sendo stopped and pivoted on his heel, face as scary as it had been during the middle of their second fight. It actually made Ippo pull up short and stare back helplessly.

" _What!_ " Sendo barked, voice a harsh tenor. "What the _fuck_ do you _want_?! Why aren'tcha wit' yer fuckin' _girlfriend_?!"

Ippo frowned, completely clueless. No, wait. He wasn't _that_ clueless. He'd seen movies like this, but usually it was a guy yelling at a _girl_ about being with _another_ guy. So, why in the world was Sendo behaving like Ippo had stolen his girlfriend?

"She's _not_ my girlfriend!" he snapped, his own anger rising.

Sendo took a few steps in Ippo's direction, upper lip peeled back in a terrible sneer. "Coulda fooled me, Makunouchi," he snarled.

"Is _that_ what's bothering you? Do _you_ like Kumi-san?"

The thought bothered him more than he thought it would or even _should_ , for that matter. His face felt drawn as he balled up his lips and glared at his rival. All Sendo had to say was that he wanted Kumi-san for himself. Sendo's face went blank for a few seconds before it turned angry again.

"What're you talkin' about? I don't want that stupid girl."

Ippo jerked his head, surprised at the ferocity in Sendo's voice. He didn't want her? Well, that didn't make any sense. Why was he acting like he did, then?

"I don't understand."

Sendo rolled his eyes. "Do ya _ever_? I toldja already, didn' I? Jus' go back ta her. She's waitin' fer _you_."

He started to storm off again, but Ippo grabbed his arm. He didn't want to see Sendo so mad anymore, and if there was anything he could do to change the brunet's behavior, that's what he would do. Sendo stopped, but didn't turn to face him.

"Makunouchi, lemme go."

"Don't be mad anymore, and I will."

Ippo planted his feet and prepared for battle. He knew how stubborn Sendo could be, but this time around, he was ready to match the brunet act for act. Sendo slowly turned, eyes narrowed as he inched his way forward. The silence was taut between them as they glared at one another, until Sendo finally smirked and put his face about an inch or two from Ippo's.

"Fight me, Makunouchi. _Right now_."

Instead of anger or defensiveness, Ippo's gut unexpectedly filled with heat and seemed to nose-dive towards his ankles. Sendo's voice was lower and deeper than normal, his eyes more penetrating. Ippo felt like someone had suddenly pushed him into a hot spring, and he had yet to learn how to swim. When adrenaline entered the fray, he had no other choice but to slam his forehead to Sendo's and sneer, something fierce and passionate screaming to life inside of him.

"Ah," he noised quietly. "Let's _fight_ , Sendo-san."

**XxxxxxX**

Ippo wrapped his hands with tape before slipping on a pair of practice gloves. He stood in one corner of the basement ring at Kamogawa gym, heart slamming against his ribs as he stared across the white surface at his rival. Sendo's eyes were fierce as he stared right back, lips upturned in a feral smirk. Once his gloves were in place, Ippo slammed them together, testing them as well as adjusting them to his fists. He and Sendo had agreed to go without head gear, making this spar as close to a real match as possible. Ippo rotated his shoulders and did a leaning stretch in his corner as he absently listened to Coach and Yagi-san giving him pointers. He didn't need them. He and Sendo knew each other's fighting styles like they were their own, so all that was left was to go out and pound each other until one submitted to the other.

"You know he's learned to fully use his legs during a match, so watch his in-steps and dashes. And be careful of taking too many of his punches. Those legs have made him even tougher."

"Right," Ippo said. "I remember."

Takamura-san was posted in Sendo's corner, having decided against staying at the beach since he'd crapped out with the ladies. However, Aoki-san had disappeared with Tomiko-san, while Kimura-san had done the same with Mashiba-san. Ippo had had a fleeting moment of guilt when parting with Kumi-san, but his fight with Sendo had become top priority. Now, he and the brunet were facing off with each other yet again, and it was just as thrilling as their Japanese championship title fight.

"Just keep hitting. Pressure, pressure, pressure. It's the only way to keep him at bay. Don't let his size overwhelm you this time, and don't let him intimidate you. You're the champion. Make him see that."

Ippo nodded, not really listening. It was the first time he hadn't been all ears for Coach before a match, but he was too focused on the brunet across the ring, lounging in the corner against the ropes. They were both dressed in boxing shorts, Sendo's a borrowed pair from the gym, while Ippo sported his old, turquoise and white pair. Ippo adjusted his mouth piece and glanced to the side of the ring, where Shinoda-san perched, waiting to ring the bell. Coach finally stopped talking and climbed down from the side of the ring, where he gave Ippo a pointed nod right before Shinoda-san went ahead and signaled the start of the match.

Both boxers lunged forward and met in a deadly clash at the center of the ring. Ippo reeled from Sendo's heavy left jab, but Ippo noticed that Sendo did the same from his left hook. After that, it was a free-for-all of devastating blow after devastating blow. Ippo had never felt as bloodthirsty as he did at that moment; he didn't even have time to dwell on the jarring pain of Sendo's hits. He was too busy throwing his own and fighting for dominance of the match. Before he knew it, they were forehead-to-forehead, breathing harshly in the middle of the ring as the bell sounded, ending the first round. It took a few long seconds for the referee to separate them, but when they finally did part, Ippo turned and headed over to his corner. He glanced over his shoulder before he got there and was pleased with himself to see Sendo doing the exact same thing, brown eyes glittering with passion and excitement.

Ippo plopped down on the stool in his corner and spit his mouthpiece into the towel Coach had waiting for him. Yagi-san tipped a water bottle, allowing Ippo to gargle a few times before spitting the mouthfuls into a bucket beside him. Afterward, he took a couple of sips.

"Good, good, good," Coach started, eyes alight with happiness. "Keep pressuring him. For every blow, return him two or three. Keep it compact, sharp. You're doing great, kid."

Ippo nodded, but discreetly tilted his head so he could look over Coach's shoulder at his opponent. Takamura-san was animatedly giving Sendo advice, but the brunet's eyes were pointed directly at Ippo. When their gazes met, it was like Ippo had been struck by lightning. Something hot and sudden spiked in his body, flashing from the pit of his stomach to the tips of his extremities. He had to refrain from dancing on his stool – he was so anxious to get back out there. And judging by the look in Sendo's brown eyes, the other man obviously felt the same.

Shinoda-san hollered, "Seconds out!" and Ippo climbed to his feet as Coach left the ring, taking the stool with him. Before the older man descended from the side of the ring, he clapped a hand to Ippo's shoulder, dark eyes serious.

"Keep givin' 'im hell, kid."

Ippo grinned and nodded as he turned back to face Sendo. The bell rang, and both fighters leaped towards the center of the ring once more. As Ippo exchanged blows with Sendo, his blood literally seemed to sing through his veins.

He _loved_ fighting with Sendo.

XOXOXO

Sendo clung to the ropes for dear life as he glared at Makunouchi. He'd just been a victim of the Dempsey Roll yet again, but this time the effects were a lot more crippling. He couldn't feel his legs and his face was completely numb. His head was light and fuzzy, vision swimming as though he was trying to see underwater. His lungs were burning from lack of oxygen, but he refused to go down. Makunouchi had succeeded in knocking him down one too many times during their previous match, and it hadn't been such a great feeling. However, he had to admit that he had reached his limit. Makunouchi wasn't doing so great, either, but he was doing a hell of a lot better than Sendo. He was posted up in his neutral corner after the appointed referee (a miscellaneous member of Kamogawa gym) had called a standing down against Sendo. Makunouchi's left eye was damned near swollen shut, blood eased from his nostrils, and he wore a bunch of bruises everywhere, but he was _still standing_ , chest heaving and all. Sendo grinned and shook his head a tiny bit. Makunouchi was still too strong for him.

Sendo lowered his hands, and the Kamogawa trainer, Shinoda-han, rang the bell, ending the match. He was disappointed, but then again, he really wasn't. He'd gotten his chance to fight Makunouchi to his heart's content again, and the feeling was irreplaceable – one he wouldn't trade for anything in the world. Sendo sighed and collapsed against the ropes in order to gather his wits and fight the urge to slip into unconsciousness. He was blinking away the persistent drowsiness, when something strange happened. Instead of stumbling over to his corner, Makunouchi stumbled his way over to Sendo's side. Sendo watched him like the smaller man was a poisonous spider, unsure of what Makunouchi had up his sleeve. After a few silent moments of just looking, Makunouchi moved in and put an arm around Sendo's waist.

"Are you OK, Sendo-san?"

Was Makunouchi pitying him? Sendo glared at him and started to snap at him, when he paused and took a closer look at the dark-haired man's face. It was beaten up, but the look in that gray eye had gone from fierce and determined to soft, concerned and damned near enchanting. Sendo held his breath as he studied his rival. Makunouchi's hands were hot, just like the rest of his body that seemed to be a little too close.

 _Why now?_ Sendo internally screamed. _Not now, dammit!_

"I'm fine, Makunouchi," he grumbled and tried to pry the man's hands away from his sides.

Makunouchi didn't budge. In fact, that gray eye hardened.

"Stop it. I'm going to help you to the showers."

The hairs on Sendo's arms and along the back of his neck stood up at Makunouchi's innocent statement. Or rather, his innocent _command_. What the hell was this? Was the asshole really looking down on him?

"Makunouchi, I don' need yer fuckin' help! Ya think yer that bad that I can't get around on my own now?"

Makunouchi froze, eyes widening. Well, the one that wasn't almost shut, at any rate. Then, that same eye narrowed into a thin slit.

"You're getting my help anyway, Sendo-san. That's what _friends_ do."

Sendo frowned, stuck yet again. Makunouchi kept throwing that word around, and each time he did, it confused the hell out of Sendo. He didn't know what to make of it. Sure, Makunouchi was his rival, and sure, when they weren't fighting, they shared an easy kind of camaraderie. But did that really make them friends? And then, there was that sarcastic little voice at the back of Sendo's mind that kept whispering about being _more_ than Makunouchi's friend.

What the hell was that, anyway? Why couldn't he keep his mind from flinging itself into the gutter recently when it came to Makunouchi? It was disturbing.

Sendo peered at the dark-haired man from the corner of his eye before finally sighing and loosening the tension riddled across his back. He nodded slowly and allowed Makunouchi to help him away from the ropes. Maybe he would take a chance with this "friends" thing.

**XxxxxxxX**

His face was on fire. He had to turn in the opposite direction just so Makunouchi wouldn't see how red it had gone. He hadn't _intentionally_ looked at Makunouchi's package, but it was _there_. There was no way he could have missed it, even though the smaller man was shy as hell about it. And for what reason? Sendo had no fucking idea. Makunouchi was holding more weight between his legs than a drug pusher saw in a month. But now, Sendo had to wonder why seeing Makunouchi's log flustered him so badly. It wasn't like it was the first man muscle he'd ever seen.

 _That's got nothin' ta do wit' it_ , his conscience supplied with a smug tone.

Sendo ran a wet hand over his face, hoping the scalding water would serve to knock his mind out of filthy territory. It wasn't working. Although the shower room was silent aside from the running water, Sendo could still hear Makunouchi's quiet movements, which only made him imagine the slighter man standing there naked and soaking wet.

"Stupid," he growled under his breath. "Yer bein' _stupid_."

"Eh?" Makunouchi's voice called over the noise of the water. "Did you say something, Sendo?"

Sendo shook his head as he kept his eyes front and center. There was no way he was turning in Makunouchi's direction. He was already in a tight spot, hormones and emotions going haywire for no apparent reason. He really didn't need anymore fuel for the fire raging in his imagination.

"I was jus' talkin' ta myself," he muttered.

"What?!" Makunouchi shouted, body edging closer from Sendo's right.

Sendo's eyes grew enormous as he tried to disguise the panic in them. Why was Makunouchi moving? Why wouldn't the idiot just stay on his side of the shower? Sendo tried to slide away from the dark-haired man's approaching body heat as discreetly as possible, but he didn't think it worked. Makunouchi just kept inching right on towards him.

"I wasn't talkin' ta you," Sendo almost screeched as he clutched a bar of soap to his chest. His bruises were aching and the small cut above his eyebrow was stinging like hell, but he didn't feel any of it as adrenaline surged through his veins. He had to get away. "Go back ta yer shower, Makunouchi."

Makunouchi went silent and that was the only reason Sendo ventured a glimpse in the man's direction. He regretted it instantly. Why the hell did his rival have to be so goddamned _cute_? Makunouchi was covered from head to toe in white lather, his smooth-looking skin peeking from beneath the bubbles in a few tempting spots. Sendo gritted his teeth and immediately turned away from the enticing sight.

 _What the fuck_...

He busied himself with washing as he studiously ignored the other man. On second thought, he didn't need a response from Makunouchi; he just needed the guy to move away and go back to what he was previously doing. A few minutes ticked by without incident, making Sendo forget about his predicament as he rubbed a hand over his chest, rinsing away the suds from the soap. He shut off the water, then reached for the towel Makunouchi had provided him with and was halted in his movements so abruptly, he felt like he'd run into a parked car.

Makunouchi was staring at him. _Frowning_...but still staring.

Sendo scowled to hide the sudden onslaught of arousal that nearly floored him.

"What?" he barked, tone defensive and aggressive.

Makunouchi jumped, gray eye going round with surprise. "Huh?"

"Why the hell ya starin' at me like that?"

"I-I am? I mean, I-I was?"

"Cut the crap, Makunouchi! What the hell ya lookin' at?"

Makunouchi's frown deepened as he lowered his eye to the white, tiled floor of the shower room. He was already done with his shower because he had a light turquoise towel around his waist, and his hair wasn't as soaked as it had been a little while ago. Now, it was standing up in damp spikes all over his head. Sendo glared as he snatched his own towel from the shower head to his left and wrapped it around his hips. He was jittery and nervous – two emotions that really didn't sit well with him – and it was all because Makunouchi had gone and switched the script on him. The smaller man had never outright stared at him unless it was during a fight or, more recently, during an argument. It tied Sendo's gut into knots since he didn't know what to make of it.

"I-I didn't mean to stare, Sendo-san."

Sendo rolled his eyes and sucked his teeth. "Yer back ta that, eh?"

Makunouchi looked up, gaze clearly confused. One of his hands gripped the knot he'd made in the towel at his waist, while he gnawed at his bottom lip. Why did he look so nervous? It was making Sendo's skin crawl. What the hell was up with this atmosphere? One minute they were fighting and living it up as boxers and the next minute...what? He had no idea how to analyze the way Makunouchi was looking at him.

"Hey, Makunouchi," he started after taking a step towards the door and thinking better of it. "Ya sure yer OK?"

Makunouchi nodded at the floor, the hand on his towel twisting the material between his fingers.

"I'm fine. I-I was just thinking about something. Don't mind me."

He didn't believe that for an instant, but took Makunouchi's advice and shrugged as he left the shower room. He made it into the locker area and went over to a bench he'd claimed for himself. There was an extra set of clean clothing there that Takamura-san had left for him. Sendo knew he would probably drown in the larger items, but, hey...they were clean and that was more than he could say for his own at the moment. He slipped into the white, short-sleeved t-shirt and black warm-up shorts before slipping his feet into his own sneakers. By the time he was done, he noticed that Makunouchi still hadn't emerged from the shower room. Curious, he rubbed both palms down the front of his shorts as he made his way back to the other room. It was quiet beyond the doors, which raised a red flag for Sendo. Was something wrong? Had Makunouchi passed out? That thought spurred Sendo forward, his heart racing. He pushed through the doors and stood in the room, his eyes darting around in search of his rival.

Makunouchi was nowhere to be found...until Sendo spied a set of feet on the other side of a shower partition. Makunouchi didn't seem to be on the floor, so that had to be good news, right? Still unsure of what was taking the dark-haired man so long, Sendo carefully made his way over. He thought about calling out to Makunouchi, but changed his mind at the last second. He was already there, so it wouldn't make sense to announce his presence. It wasn't like they were in a restroom where he might catch Makunouchi on the toilet or something. He rounded the pale blue partition and froze, mouth falling open and eyes feeling as though they were seconds from falling out onto the floor.

He didn't realize he'd made a sound until Makunouchi whirled in place, gray eye huge and mouth stuck in the shape of an "O." They stared at one another in shock for what felt like an eternity, but was probably closer to a few seconds before Makunouchi yelped and covered himself with his towel. Sendo backed away from the shower stall and covered his eyes, his heart still going nuts, but for a different reason this time. He took a couple of deep breaths and tried to cool the heat in his face and the awareness in his groin.

"What the fuck?" he whispered to himself. " _What the fuck_?"

What the hell had he walked in on? There was nothing wrong with Makunouchi at all. Aside from the fact that he'd been wrestling with a very large...

"S-Sendo?"

That timid tone made Sendo shudder for some reason. He felt like he'd just walked into a porno. Makunouchi sounded just like a girl that'd been caught masturbating by the parents of the kid she was supposed to be babysitting. It was a wicked scenario, but definitely one Sendo had seen on an adult film.

"My bad, Makunouchi. I, uh...yeah...my bad."

He had no idea what to say to the guy at this point. Not even in his wildest dreams would he have imagined himself walking in on Makunouchi _masturbating_. _In public_ , no less. There were several reasons Sendo felt that way, but the one that stood out the most for him had to be the conversation he and Makunouchi had had the night before. Makunouchi was so shy and proper that it'd been like pulling teeth to get the guy to admit that he even masturbated to begin with. Walking in on it was an entirely different bag of cats.

Butterflies fluttered in Sendo's gut as he stood on the other side of the partition, unsure of what to do next. Makunouchi wasn't making a sound, either, probably mortified to death. Sendo wouldn't be surprised to find the guy keeled over for real this time. However, he was surprised when the dark-haired boxer emerged from the other side of the shower, head down and gray eye full of trepidation. It was clear that he didn't want to meet Sendo's gaze, and Sendo couldn't blame him. For once, he was embarrassed out of his mind. What were they going to say to one another? How should they proceed from this point on? The moment was excruciating for Sendo because he'd already been trying to rein in his libido when it came to the slightly smaller man. Now, he had to deal with that image of Makunouchi leaning against the shower wall, hand wrapped around his generous length and face scrunched with pleasure. Sure, that wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Sendo sighed and ran a hand through his still damp hair. He knew for a fact that if he left it up to Makunouchi to smooth things over, it wouldn't get done, so he sighed again and faced his rival. Makunouchi was still staring at the floor, eye wide and lips pursed together, his hands balled into fists at his sides.

"Wha's wit' that face, Makunouchi? I ain't yer mother."

Makunouchi's head jerked up as he finally met Sendo's eyes. His face was filled with hope, and Sendo came to understand why. Makunouchi probably thought he was about to be made fun of. Sendo chuckled. That may have been true had Takamura-san been the one to walk in on him.

"All guys jerk-off, ya know? Ain't nothin' new. 'Cept, next time ya might wanna do it somewhere wit' a lil more privacy."

Makunouchi's face flushed as his eye went back to the floor. Instead of cowering away, he smiled and nodded as he rubbed the back of his head.

"You're right," he replied. Then, he grimaced. "I still wish you hadn't seen that, though. I'm so embarrassed."

Sendo felt the air in the room clearing of tension, but it did nothing to lessen the butterflies in his stomach and arousal in his shorts. And aroused he was. Makunouchi was a frustrating guy, but he was an attractive one. Bad thing was, he didn't even realize how attractive he was and how infuriatingly _cute_ he could be. It was annoying.

"Relax," Sendo started, a devilish look hiding his previously uncertain one. "I won't tell anyone."

Makunouchi must have read the teasing tone of voice because his head came up again, and his gray eye was the size of a baseball.

"Sendo! Y-you wouldn't!"

"That a challenge, Makunouchi?"

"No! I just... Please don't tell!"

Sendo gave the other man a wolfish grin before he dashed from the shower room. It was the only thing he could think of to get away from Makunouchi without causing a scene or hurting the guy's feelings. The way he was feeling was rather dangerous at the moment. He ended up in the large gym area, sweat collecting along his hairline. He figured that scene he'd walked in on would be on his mind for the rest of his life, simply because he was so attracted to his rival. He face-palmed and groaned.

"Oh? What's wrong, Sendo?" a deep voice boomed from behind him.

He jumped and turned to face Takamura-san. The man towered over him, wearing a wide grin that just spoke of constant mischief. Sendo knew for a fact that he couldn't tell _this_ man what he'd seen. Makunouchi would die from embarrassment and probably try to kill him in the process.

"Ah...I jus' got a headache."

Takamura-san threw his head back and let loose a full-bellied cackle. "Ohhhh, Ippo kicked yer ass pretty good, eh?"

That rubbed the wrong way, but Sendo decided ignoring the barb was a better idea than snapping back. Especially since his attention had been diverted to the dark-haired man leaving the locker room. Makunouchi looked up and froze. His gray eye went round as he alternated his gaze back and forth between Sendo and Takamura-san. Sendo immediately understood; he just hoped Makunouchi would figure out that he would never rat him out that way.

"Um," Makunouchi started.

Takamura-san turned his brilliant grin in the other man's direction, which was a relief. It meant that Sendo didn't have to continue his lie about a nonexistent headache. However, Makunouchi proceeded to tell on himself in a way.

"It's not what you think," he blurted, clearly intimidated by his mentor.

Sendo almost face-palmed again, but figured alerting Makunouchi to the foot that was headed towards his mouth was a better option. He shook his head back and forth, eyes wide, trying his hardest to relay the message. Thankfully, Makunouchi understood with just one glance, but Takamura-san had already caught the slip.

"What are you talkin' about? Sendo's headache?" the bigger man asked, alternating his gaze between Sendo and Makunouchi. After a few moments of that, he turned back to Makunouchi with his signature grin. "Well, I'll be damned," he said, voice low and amused.

Before Takamura-san could continue, Kamogawa-san strolled over, dark, hawk-like eyes analyzing Sendo and Makunouchi from head to foot. Clearly satisfied with what he saw, he waved his cane at Takamura-san and scowled.

"Leave the kid alone. I told you to go home and get ready to start your match regimen tomorrow," he growled.

Takamura-san seemed to revert into a child as he pouted and folded his arms across his broad chest. He closed his eyes and the tone he used brooked no further argument.

"I'm ready for my match right now, old man."

"Like hell you are. _Go home_."

"Ah-ah. I've got a date anyway," Takamura-san grumbled before turning towards the exit. However, after a few steps, he shot a wicked look over his shoulder at Sendo and Makunouchi. "You ladies have a nice night."

Sendo didn't quite understand what the sarcastic undertones in Takamura-san's voice meant, but the look Makunouchi was wearing had him shifting nervously. The last thing Sendo wanted to worry about on top of his attraction to his rival was his idol being up to no good.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hajime no Ippo...

Onwards...

XOXOXO

Ippo kicked at a stray can and furrowed his brow. Sendo had gone home from the gym after their much anticipated spar, and Ippo was left with his thoughts and a slew of new emotions careening through him. He'd had the time of his life fighting Sendo again, but something had gone from bloodthirsty to passionate at the end of the spar. And not his normal passion for boxing, either. Seeing Sendo draped over the ropes, struggling to remain conscious had sent a hot spiral of guilt shooting through Ippo's gut. One minute, Ippo had been riding the high of the Dempsey Roll, and the next minute, he'd been offering Sendo his help.

The volatile brunet was so strong and stubborn, just like Ippo, but Sendo had his limits as well. Even though the other man hid them well, when they were revealed, it was the most endearing sight Ippo had ever witnessed. He thought back to their last fight before the spar and blushed as he recalled Sendo's strong arm going around his neck and Sendo's deep voice murmuring tiredly into his ear. Back then, Ippo hadn't thought twice about the good sportsman-like gesture, but now...

What exactly was going on?

He stopped along the river bank and sat on the grassy hill that overlooked it. After plucking a few blades of grass from the ground beside him, he blew out a frustrated breath. He was so confused. Where had all these sudden feelings come from? Why was he starting to think about Sendo the way Takamura-san thought about the girls in his porn videos and magazines? And then, there was the mortifying moment in the shower where Sendo had walked in on Ippo masturbating.

He hung his head in shame as his cheeks grew warm. He hadn't even planned on doing... _that_. However, seeing Sendo's vulnerable side had seemingly changed everything. Ippo had become aware of how handsome his friend and rival was. Sendo's untamed, brown hair, his intimidating and piercing brown eyes, his wide, canine-heavy grin, his rock-solid body and soft, tanned skin...all of it made Ippo hot and nervous and scared and confused.

What was wrong with him?

He sighed again and stared out at the glistening surface of the river. The sun was on its way down, and the reds, oranges and yellows seemed to blend with the water and turn it the same shade as blood. The only sounds he heard were the faint squawking of the nocturnal birds, the cars passing by on the nearby bridge, and the gently rolling waves of the river. The atmosphere was peaceful and afforded him the time to think without the distraction of his friends, which was exactly why he'd gone there to begin with.

What was he going to do about this Sendo thing? Now, whenever he looked at his rival, all he thought about was how it would be to have the other man give him his first kiss; how it would be to have Sendo smile at him without it being sarcastic or taunting; how it would be to be able to touch the brunet without the use of boxing gloves or the ring. Those were interesting thoughts, but what he wanted to know was why he was thinking them to begin with. It was so strange and abrupt. Ippo had no idea what he was supposed to _do_.

"Woof! Woof!"

Ippo frowned a bit as he lifted his head and glanced over his shoulder towards the noise.

"Hm? Wanpo?"

The huge, furry, white dog bounded over to him, tongue lolling out of its mouth as it nearly tackled Ippo. Ippo grinned and pushed Wanpo's eager tongue and cold nose away from his face.

"Hey, boy," he chuckled as he tousled the soft fur on his dog's head. "You came and found me, huh?"

Wanpo gave an excited bark and nosed Ippo's cheek before settling down beside him and laying his head on Ippo's right thigh. The warmth from the dog was comforting and allowed Ippo to get back to his previous activity of wondering just what the hell he was supposed to do now that he was clearly attracted to his friend and rival. Attracted enough to masturbate in the shower. Ippo blushed every time he thought about it. Sendo's face had been even more puzzling, though. The brunet hadn't recoiled with disgust like Ippo had been expecting once he'd realized that he'd been caught. In fact, Sendo had appeared shocked, of course, but more than that, he'd seemed like he was more curious about what had been going on than he should have.

What did that mean? Ippo fretted as he wondered what could have been on the brunet's mind. Had it been a negative thought? But it couldn't have been. Sendo wouldn't have hesitated to frown, and Ippo would have remembered if the man had been frowning. So, that brought him right back to where he'd started. What could Sendo have been thinking to make him look like that?

Ippo leaned forward on his knees and tucked his chin between them. Now what was he supposed to do? Did he tell Sendo what he was feeling? He immediately shook his head. No, he couldn't do that. Sendo would probably make fun of him, or worse, try to make him feel gross. A sudden jingling caught Ippo's attention and made him lift his head from his knees. He looked around for the source of the noise and tensed with shock when he saw Kumi-chan riding towards him on her bike.

"Makunouchi-kun!" she called.

She pulled to a stop at the top of the hill and climbed off the bike before putting up the kickstand. After that, she wobbled down the hill until she made it to Ippo's side and plopped down next to him in the grass.

"Whew! Wanpo was running so fast! I thought I'd lost him!"

Ippo gave the girl a hesitant smile. "Haha! W-what are you doing here, Kumi-chan?"

"Hm? Oh, I stopped by your house, and your mom told me you were at the gym, so I brought Wanpo with me to see you."

Ippo didn't understand. After the way they had parted earlier, he would've thought that Kumi-chan would be upset with him. He averted his gaze to his feet and hung his head.

"You're not...mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad at you, Makunouchi-kun?"

"Well, earlier at the sea...I mean, the way I left..."

Kumi-chan put a hand on his shoulder, making him tense even further. For some reason, it felt strange when Kumi-chan touched him.

_But not when Sendo does, huh?_

Ippo was eternally grateful that Kumi-chan interrupted his thoughts.

"No, no, I understand!" she started. "You had something else to do. That's nothing to get mad about."

Now, most people called him naïve, even gullible, but to Ippo, it seemed as though Kumi-chan had a small case of denial. He had clearly dropped her like a heavy book after their trip to the sea, but here she was making excuses for him. He didn't understand it.

"I suppose not," he mumbled, instead of saying what he'd really been thinking. "W-was there something you needed?"

Kumi-chan went quiet for a few moments as she seemed to study the hem of her dress, her fingers idly toying with it. She took a few deep breaths, the last one ending as a sigh. Then, her head lifted and her gaze locked with Ippo's. He wanted to recoil from the intensity of Kumi-chan's eyes. What was going on now?

"Makunouchi-kun...I...I...I've been meaning to tell you this for a little while now, but I wasn't sure whether the time was right. But I'm tired of waiting, and I want to know how you feel about me. I know how I feel about you."

Ippo's face darkened as he turned away from Kumi-chan's imploring brown eyes. That had been totally unexpected. What was he supposed to say? Of course, he liked Kumi-chan, but he wasn't sure if he liked her quite that way anymore. With his new and confusing feelings towards his rival, he didn't know _what_ he wanted anymore. How could he tell that to Kumi-chan, though, without hurting her feelings? He didn't know what to do!

Luckily, a reprieve came in the form of a mischief-making dark-haired man with a broad grin. Takamura-san tromped down the hill and stopped right behind the other two, arms going across his chest as he continued to grin.

"Ohhh? What's this? You guys on a date or somethin'?" he boomed.

Kumi-chan blushed nicely, and before Ippo could open his mouth to reply to his mentor, she lifted a finger to her cheek and grinned coyly.

"You could say that."

Ippo was horrified. Not only was Takamura-san going to torture him with teasing, but that wasn't true. Kumi-chan had come and found him to confess to him. There had been no preset date. Why was she telling Takamura-san such a blatant lie? He turned to the girl in question and looked her over, wondering what kind of expression she was wearing. Maybe by doing that, he could figure out what was going through her mind. However, when his eyes roved over her face, all he found was a shy embarrassment.

"Ho-ho!" Takamura-san shouted. "I taught you well, huh, Ippo?"

He wanted to bury his head in the ground beneath his feet. Why was this happening? Now Kumi-chan would think that Ippo wanted to be with her. That maybe he returned her feelings. But he didn't. He couldn't seem to keep his mind off of Sendo, so there was no way he could feel anything more than friendship towards Kumi-chan.

He lifted a hand to the back of his neck, wracking his brain to come up with something that wouldn't put the girl on the spot or make her feel bad. As he was inwardly panicking, a sharp kick to his back sent him sprawling forward onto his stomach and face. He lifted his head and spit out a few blades of grass, his astonished eyes finding the taller man's over his shoulder.

"T-Takamura-san! What was that for?"

"You weren't even listening, and I was spreading my infinite wisdom to you youngsters!"

Ippo sat up and rubbed the sore spot on his back. "Sorry, Takamura-san. I didn't mean to drift off."

Takamura-san grunted and folded his arms across his broad chest again. "Fine. I was saying that even though you may be horny and want to tear each other apart, you still have to use protection, or you'll be a family a lot sooner than you'd planned."

Ippo hung his head in mortification. He didn't know what to say. What could he have said to that? Takamura-san was jumping the gun, not even caring that he was saying such lewd and inappropriate things in front of Kumi-chan. Not only that, but the man's words would only serve to further expand the security blanket Kumi-chan was no doubt creating for herself in regards to Ippo.

"T-Takamura-san, th-that's...that's not..." his voice trailed off as words failed him.

Ippo took a chance and peeked at Kumi-chan from the corner of his eyes. At least she had the decency to blush and look thoroughly harassed.

"Takamura-san, I don't think Makunouchi-kun and I are ready to go that far."

Takamura-san grinned and rocked back on his heels. "I don't know! You two look kinda close to me!"

Ippo shot to his feet, startling Wanpo and Kumi-chan. He'd heard and had enough. He didn't want to deal with Kumi-chan or Takamura-san at the moment. He just wanted to be alone so he could think. He never had this problem when Sendo was around. The thought made him blush and hide an unexpected grin. He really couldn't go for long without thinking about his brunet rival.

"I have to go," he blurted and took off running up the hill, Wanpo closely on his heels.

He ignored Kumi-chan and Takamura-san calling his name. He just fled the scene, running as fast as his legs could carry him. The rush of the wind against his face exhilarated him, and soon enough, the situation with Kumi-chan bled out of his mind. Thoughts of Sendo quickly replaced them. He thought of Sendo's voice, he thought of Sendo's wild brown hair, he thought of the man's swift temper and brash personality, and then he thought about how he felt when he spent time with Sendo. Ippo came to a grinding halt, Wanpo sliding to a stop a few feet ahead of him, large head titled to the side and tongue lolling out of his mouth.

It was official. He really had a thing for his friend and rival, Takeshi Sendo.

XOXOXO

Sendo paced the floor of the candy shop. It was a little after five in the afternoon, a day after his spar with Makunouchi, and he was going through it. He couldn't get the shorter man out of his head. He couldn't stop seeing those large, gray eyes, that charming grin, and that polite, soft-spoken tenor. He couldn't get his mind to stop recalling Makunouchi's perfect body and unique scent. But worst of all, he couldn't stop replaying the moment in the Kamogawa gym locker room. Makunouchi's hand had been tightly wrapped around his impressive length, fluidly moving up and down. Sendo stopped pacing and shuddered violently. If this kept up, he was going to have a nervous breakdown.

"Ta-ke-shi!" his grandmother scolded from her perch on the floor at the front of the store. "What are you doing?"

Sendo shook his head, clueless himself. He didn't know why his thoughts were centered on Makunouchi. Even in the past, it hadn't been as bad as it was now. What had caused the dramatic change?

"I'm just thinking about something, 'Baa-chan."

"Well, if you keep thinking about something, you're going to ruin the floor. Why don't you go for a run or something?"

That was actually a good idea. It would give him time to release the extra energy he had, as well as give him time to zone out and free his mind.

"I think I will. See ya, 'Baa-chan!" he called as he jogged out of the store.

As soon as he emerged into the early evening sun, he was attacked by a group of three kids, who always seemed to know exactly when to catch him. Not to mention, they were annoying as all hell.

"Heyyyyy, Rocky! Where ya goin'?" the one with the pink nose and baseball cap called.

"Out ta train?" the girl added.

Sendo pulled up short and rolled his eyes as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his warm-up pants. They always interrogated him like they were his parents.

"What's it to you guys?" he grumbled.

"Ehh? Don't be that way! We just wanna know what our hero's doin'!"

Sendo pressed the tip of one of his index fingers to the leader's forehead. "I'm mindin' my business. You should do the same. Jeez. Talk about nosy brats?"

"Heyyy! We're gonna tell your grandma you're bein' mean ta us!"

Sendo turned and started jogging again. "Tell 'er! It ain't gonna change nothin'!"

With that, he tuned out their affronted yelling and rapid footsteps as he took off up the street. He wasn't paying much attention this time to his fans who were shouting encouragement to him as he ran past. Even though he was making every effort to think of anything else, his mind kept drifting back to his rival. Makunouchi lorded over his brain like a tyrant wielding an iron staff. What was his problem?

His feet pounded against the pavement as he ran through the streets of his neighborhood. He'd just started sweating, when he paused near a stop sign and swiped a hand across his forehead. This was getting him absolutely nowhere. He was still unbearably restless, and he'd still made no progress in getting Makunouchi out of his head. He doubled back to the store and his home, agitation with himself rising seemingly with each step that he took. This was ridiculous, and he was starting to understand why he was feeling the way he was.

He made it home and went straight for the telephone next to the cash register. He picked it up and dialed Makunouchi's number. He had to talk to him. He had to discuss what was going on face-to-face or he would slowly lose his mind. The line rang three times before Makunouchi's mom picked up.

"Hello?"

Sendo's hand immediately went to the back of his head. There was something about Makunouchi's mom that made him feel like a teenager all over again.

"U-uh, hello, Makunouchi's mom. It's Sendo-kun. Is Makunouchi home?"

"Ara! Hello, Sendo-kun. Ippo just got home. He seems so different. Is everything alright?" she asked, concern lacing her gentle tone.

Sendo shrugged. "I dunno. I'll ask 'im about it, though. C-could you put him on, please?"

"Sure, one second." Sendo listened as she set the phone down and called for her son. "I-ppoooooooooo!"

A few beats dragged by with Sendo shuffling from foot to foot as he waited for Makunouchi to answer. Finally, he heard the man's muffled voice. A few seconds after that, Makunouchi's breathless tenor was on the line.

"Sendo?"

"Yeah, it's me, Makunouchi. Listen, what are you doing?"

"Me? Nothing right now. I just got in from the gym. Wh-what about you?"

"I'm coming to see you," Sendo stated plainly. "I gotta talk to ya 'bout somethin'."

"O-oh. OK. I'll be here."

"Alright. See ya soon, Makunouchi."

Sendo ended the call and turned on his heel, but was pulled up short yet again. His grandmother was standing in front of him, their cat, Tora, in her small arms.

"Who was that on the phone?"

"I-it was just my friend from Tokyo."

"Oh, the Makunouchi boy? He's nice and polite. You could learn a thing or two from him. Are you going back to see him again? Weren't you just there the other day?"

"Yeah, 'Baa-chan, but I got important business ta discuss wit' him, so I gotta go back."

His grandmother stared at him for a bit, then gave a slow, wide grin.

"If you say so, Takeshi."

After she'd said her piece, she ambled back to her spot on the floor and made herself comfortable. Sendo wasn't sure what was going through the older woman's mind, so he dismissed it and hurried to his room. He had a bag to pack and a train to catch.

**XxxxxxX**

_The train ride seemed shorter this time around_ , Sendo thought as he left the Tokyo station.

He knew his way to Makunouchi's house by now, so he didn't stop to ask for directions. Instead, he made his way there on foot. As he walked, he thought about what he was going to say to Makunouchi and how he was going to say it. He wondered what Makunouchi's response would be. To hell with it. He'd just go with the flow and hope for the best. That was all he really could do. If Makunouchi didn't want to be bothered like that, Sendo would respect the man's decision. Not only that, but he would make it his business to keep things from going weird between them. How he was going to accomplish that was beyond him at the moment, but thinking of that was better than dwelling on the sensation of being rejected.

With him worrying so, he ended up making it to Makunouchi's house a lot sooner than he'd expected. He stood at the door of the garage and took a deep breath before knocking. He hoped this wouldn't be too painful. He waited a few more moments and had his hand raised to knock again when the door was yanked open, revealing Makunouchi on the other side. He was again wearing a pair of boxers and a white t-shirt, his feet bare as he ran a towel through his dark, spiky hair. His arm slowly lowered as he stared at Sendo.

"Hey," he said, voice quiet.

Sendo nodded and cleared his throat before saying, "Yo."

They did the staring thing a bit more before Makunouchi finally stepped back from the door and waved a hand.

"Come on."

Sendo nodded again and entered Makunouchi's home, closing the door behind himself. He removed his sneakers at the door and followed behind the shorter man as they made their way to Makunouchi's room. Sendo remembered his first time being in Makunouchi's room. He remembered that night too, when he'd realized just how much he wanted to kiss and hold his rival. Makunouchi slid open the door to his room as Sendo glanced around for the man's mother, wondering where she was. When she didn't appear, he turned to Makunouchi with a small frown.

"Hey, Makunouchi." Makunouchi jumped and faced Sendo with big gray doe eyes. He looked like he'd seen a ghost. Before Sendo became distracted by that endearing gaze, he posed his question. "Where's your mom?"

"Oh, she's in her room doing some reading. She, uh, said she didn't want to bother us...or anything."

Sendo grinned. He knew he liked Makunouchi's mom for a good reason. He followed the dark-haired man into his room, waiting while Makunouchi closed the door. After that, silence fell, leaving the atmosphere tense and awkward. Sendo sighed after a while and went to a corner near the window, where he dropped his bag. He went back to the middle of the room where Makunouchi stood and stared at the man. When all Makunouchi did was fidget and avert his eyes, Sendo put a hand on each of Makunouchi's strong shoulders.

"I ain't gonna beat around the bush here, Makunouchi, so I'll just say what I got on my mind. I've been thinking about this for a while now, and it's botherin' me to the point where I can't think about nothin' else." Makunouchi audibly gulped as he stared back at Sendo. _So far, so good_. Even though things hadn't gone south yet, a strong case of butterflies made Send stall. "So, here goes nothin'," he mumbled before taking a slow, even breath. "I...want...you..."

He was going to chicken out! He felt it with every word he uttered. Three small words, but each one sapped his confidence, made his courage disappear like vapor. And the look on Makunouchi's face certainly wasn't helping matters. Not one little bit. Sendo internally struggled for something else to say that would lighten the mood, but nothing was forthcoming. He was totally anxious about Makunouchi's response. However, he should have known that Makunouchi wouldn't be much help.

"W-what? What do you want me to do, Sendo?"

Now there was a thought. But Sendo shook away the lechery creeping into his mind and tried again. Maybe if he reworded it, Makunouchi would understand what he meant.

"No, Makunouchi. I don't want you to _do_ somethin'; I want _you_."

It took some time, but Makunouchi eventually got it. His gray eyes went round and his cheeks, ears and neck flushed. His lips parted in obvious shock as he stared at Sendo. But he still didn't say anything. Sendo shifted around nervously.

"Say somethin', Makunouchi. Yer killin' me here."

Makunouchi's eyes cleared from the astonished daze he'd previously been drowning in and his head shook back and forth shortly.

"But why?" he uttered. "Why would someone as amazing as you want me?"

Sendo snorted and pulled Makunouchi to him in a hug. "I think ya mean why wouldn't I want ya, right? Makunouchi, yer not so shabby yerself, ya know? I told ya before. And I think I like ya. I know I can't stop fuckin' thinkin' 'bout ya."

Makunouchi's cheeks darkened as he lowered his head, hiding his face from Sendo. Sendo grinned as he tightened his arms and buried his nose in Makunouchi's still damp hair. Makunouchi was so cute when he did stuff like this. It never ceased to amaze Sendo just how adorable the Japanese champion could be. They stood that way for a few comfortable minutes, Sendo just enjoying the way Makunouchi felt in his arms. He'd dreamt about this so many times.

Finally, Makunouchi pulled out of the hug and glanced up at Sendo. "I feel the same way. K-Kumi-chan confessed to me yesterday, but I couldn't respond to her. Not the way she was hoping for, anyway. I only just realized that I might like you in a – in a romantic way."

Sendo grinned from ear-to-ear. So, he didn't have to worry about that stupid girl now? That was the best news he'd had in a long time.

"That's a good thing, I hope," he murmured, drawing Makunouchi back to his chest where the man belonged.

Makunouchi gave him a shy smile and nodded. "It is. And Sendo?"

Sendo was too busy inhaling the fresh scent of Makunouchi's shampoo to actually do much more than hum in response to his name coming from the shorter man.

"Call me Ippo, please."

That caught his attention, though. He leaned his upper body away and stared down at Makunouchi. "Ippo, huh? I think I can get used ta that if ya let me."

And then, Makunouchi – Ippo – did something completely out of character. He smiled and leaned forward, eyes closed and lips puckered. How cute was this? Sendo ignored the butterflies soaring around wildly in his gut as he closed the gap between his and Ippo's bodies and pressed their lips together.

 _It's just like kissing a girl_ , Sendo thought. _Only better_.

He moved his lips over Ippo's gently before carefully tracing the champion's soft bottom lip with his tongue. Ippo stiffened, but allowed Sendo to continue. It was clear that Ippo had no idea what to do next, or else he would have opened his mouth. Therefore, Sendo slid his tongue between the crease of Ippo's lips and ran it over the man's teeth. Ippo took in a startled breath, which was exactly what Sendo had been banking on. He lifted a hand to the back of Ippo's head and used his tongue to explore the inside of the shorter man's mouth. Ippo kind of got the idea afterward. His tongue met Sendo's and began to move with it, both men sighing and quietly moaning. It was Sendo who pulled out of the kiss first, a crooked smile erupting across his face.

"So, can I call you Ippo-chan now?" he asked.

Ippo chuckled and shook his head. "No way. Can I call you Takeshi?"

"You can call me whatever you want, Ippo-chan."

"Hey!"

Sendo just kissed the man again. He felt incredible.


End file.
